at the fair
blue lake of Uzmaiz came into view. As soon as we reached the shore of
the lake we were perceived, and boats were sent for us. Count Saxe
awaited us at the landing on the island. When Francezka stepped ashore
he greeted her as if he had not paid ten thousand crowns out of his
military chest for her, so great was the chivalry and gallantry of
the man. Nor did he give the smallest indication of the cruel
embarrassment it was for a man in his position to have charge of a
young and beautiful girl, an heiress of high quality. Francezka
herself realized that and spoke to me of it later, with tears in
her eyes; but the helplessness of her situation swallowed up, with
every man of us, all thought of inconvenience.

The most habitable of the two or three rooms in the old tower had been
made ready for her. Count Saxe had given up his own paillasse.
Beauvais, who was the prince of valets, had got together such rude
comforts as the stores on the island permitted. It is astonishing how
much comfort can be achieved by simple means--so said Francezka, when
Count Saxe led her into her apartment. It had a window giving upon the
old terrace, where the rose trees were now in bloom and the ivy and
periwinkle shone darkly green upon the crumbling parapet. From this
window, where Beauvais had hung a blanket by way of a curtain, could
be seen the blue lake lying between the terrace and the sunset. On one
side were the far-off black gorges and purple forests we had left; and
on the other, the rich, green-knolled cultivated country, with fields
and orchards ripening under the August sun.

Francezka's arrival scarcely for a moment interrupted the work of
intrenching the island. As to her fate, or ours, no one could tell. We
waited and worked from day to day, thinking every morning might see
the Russians swarming toward us, and our great guns, of which we had
four good loud bellowers, to say nothing of smaller pieces, pouring
death from their iron throats upon every man who attempted to cross
that narrow blue strip of placid water. But yet, the Russians came
not.

Francezka to me, in those days, was a marvel. This girl, so rash, and
with a secret taste for danger, proved herself to be the most prudent
as well as the most modest of women when thrown upon herself. In this
she showed that vein of sound sense--Scotch sense, probably--that
distinguished Madame Riano in spite of her vagaries. At the end of all
Madame Riano's outlandish