ing
in French, as he bent until his lips touched hers. "I will remain
patient, Ralph, till then, even though all the girls may envy me. They
are all English, and just because I happen to be French, they are never
too friendly."

The young man was silent for a few moments; then he sprang from her side
as the waiter entered with the tea.

After he had swallowed a cup of tea he suddenly exclaimed in perfect
French:

"Ah! I quite forgot, dearest. I wonder if you would excuse me if I leave
you here for ten minutes or so? I want to send a telegram."

"_Certainement_," she laughed happily. "I shall be quite all right,
Ralph. There are papers here to amuse me."

"Very well," he said; "I won't be a minute longer than possible," and,
taking up his cap, he went out and closed the door behind him.

It was then about half-past five o'clock.

But the instant he had gone she sprang to her feet. Her face changed. A
haunted, wild look shone in her dark, terrified eyes, and she stood
rigid, her hands clenched, her face pale to the lips.

"_Dieu!_" she whispered aloud, to herself, startled at the sound of her
own voice, and staring straight before her. "I was a fool--a great fool
to return here to-day! Someone may recognise me, though it was to the
other hotel I went with M. Harborne. Ah! No, I cannot--I dare not go
down on the beach," she went on in French. "I must get away from this
accursed place as soon as ever Ralph returns. What if he is suspected?
Besides, the police may be looking for me, as it must now be known that
I was here with him in Mundesley yesterday. Ah, yes! I was a fool to
dare to return like this, even in different clothes. As soon as Ralph
comes back I must feign serious illness, and he will take me back to
Cromer, and on to London to-morrow. What evil fate it was that he should
bring me here--here, to the one place on all the earth that I desired
never again in my life to see!"

And the girl sank back inertly into the horsehair arm-chair in the
old-fashioned room, and sat, white-faced and breathlessly anxious,
staring straight before her.

Meanwhile Ralph Ansell--who, although actually a Frenchman, bore an
English name--walked quickly up the village street and out upon the high
road towards Parton. From time to time he turned, as though he feared
that he might be followed, but there being nobody in the vicinity, he
suddenly, when about half a mile from the village, struggled through a
hedge into a grass