I looked round. What else was lacking?
The sun shone cheerily on the polished floor; the air, freshened by
the rain which had fallen in the night, entered freely through the open
doorway. A few bees lingering with the summer hummed outside. The fire
crackled bravely; an old hound, blind and past work, lay warming its
hide on the hearth. I could think of nothing more, and I stood and stood
and watched the man set out the table and spread the cloth.

'For how many, Monsieur?' he asked in a scared tone.

'For five,' I answered; and I could not help smiling at myself.

For what would Zaton's say could it see Berault turned housewife? There
was a white glazed cup, an old-fashioned piece of the second Henry's
time, standing on a shelf. I took it down and put some late flowers in
it, and set it in the middle of the table, and stood off myself to look
at it. But a moment later, thinking I heard them coming, I hurried it
away in a kind of panic, feeling on a sudden ashamed of the thing. The
alarm proved to be false, however; and then again, taking another turn,
I set the piece back. I had done nothing so foolish for--for more years
than I like to count.

But when Madame and Mademoiselle came down, they had eyes neither
for the flowers nor the room. They had heard that the Captain was out
beating the village and the woods for the fugitive, and where I had
looked for a comedy I found a tragedy. Madame's face was so red with
weeping that all her beauty was gone. She started and shook at the
slightest sound, and, unable to find any words to answer my greeting,
could only sink into a chair and sit crying silently.

Mademoiselle was in a mood scarcely more cheerful. She did not weep,
but her manner was hard and fierce. She spoke absently, and answered
fretfully. Her eyes glittered, and she had the air of straining her ears
continually to catch some dreaded sound.

'There is no news, Monsieur?' she said as she took her seat. And she
shot a swift look at me.

'None, Mademoiselle.'

'They are searching the village?'

'I believe so.'

'Where is Clon?' This in a lower voice, and with a kind of shrinking in
her face.

I shook my head. 'I believe that they have him confined somewhere. And
Louis, too,' I said. 'But I have not seen either of them.'

'And where are--I thought these people would be here,' she muttered. And
she glanced askance at the two vacant places. The servant had brought in
the meal.

'They will be here pre