n turned away in reverence. Gaston Cheverny, who
had been sitting by the fire, had sprung up and was giving me an
embrace which all but cracked my ribs.

"Babache," he said, in a low voice, so that Francezka would not be
awakened, "I can say, like the patriarch of old, 'Lord, now lettest
Thou Thy servant depart in peace.'"

I shook myself free from his embrace.

"Come," said I, "tell me what particular folly brought you to this
pass?"

He scowled at me for a moment and then said hotly--and I suppose I had
spoken angrily--

"My report shall be made to Count Saxe. I--" And then we both smiled
involuntarily.

"Babache," continued Gaston in the meekest tone, "I swear to you, I
can not now recall one thing I have done since we parted in the
courtyard of the schloss at Mitau, that seems to me on reflection
rash, or ill-considered. Listen and I believe you will agree that I am
in no way to blame for what has come to pass."

Schnelling interrupted us to say that food was being prepared for us;
but, had it been before me, I could not have eaten nor drunk until
Gaston had told me his story. He spoke softly, glancing often toward
the spot under the larch tree where Francezka's face, like a lily
flower, lay.

CHAPTER X

A PILGRIM AND A WAYFARER

"We passed through the tunnel easily enough, except that Francezka"--he
spoke her name unconsciously--"was frightened to tears by the toads.
She, a Kirkpatrick, wept with terror at a harmless toad, but when it
comes to real danger, she is as brave as my sword. We got to the
market-place, just as the drenching rain came down. There was an inn
near-by, and we ran to that for shelter. We were well received, no one
suspecting anything, and ordered breakfast in a private room. We
heard the people about the inn discussing Count Saxe's escape, and we
concluded he had got away safely. It lifted a load from our hearts.
We were very merry while we were at breakfast. It seemed no more than
a delightful escapade, and we spoke of how we should tell it in the
saloons of Paris. We were afraid, however, it would sound very tame."

This was the way these two young people took their predicament to
heart--a predicament which involved the reputation of the one and the
life of the other!

"After we had breakfasted, Francezka retired to a room to rest, and I
slipped into the town to learn something of Madame Riano. It was then
about six o'clock, and cataracts of rain poured. I went strai