you would give me up to?"

At that I confess I shuddered, and I gave her the required assurance.

"And you won't be wise and reasonable and ridiculous any more?"

"No," I answered; adding in my mind, "not, at all events, for the
present."

CHAPTER XI

HOW ONE PLAYS THE HERO AT THIRTY

Had we only been able to see a day into the future, we might have
spared ourselves this agonising, for all our doubts and fears were
suddenly dispersed in an entirely unexpected manner. Happily these
interior problems are not infrequently resolved by quite exterior
forces.

We were sitting the following afternoon in one of those broad bay
windows such as one finds still in some old country inns, just thinking
about starting once more on our way, when suddenly Nicolete, who had
been gazing out idly into the road, gave a little cry. I followed her
glance. A carriage with arms on its panels had stopped at the inn, and
as a smart footman opened the door, a fine grey-headed military-looking
man stepped out and strode hurriedly up the inn steps.

"Aucassin," gasped Nicolete, "it is my father!"

It was too true. The old man's keen eye had caught sight of Nicolete
at the window also, and in another moment we were all three face to
face. I must do the Major-General the justice of saying that he made
as little of a "scene" of it as possible.

"Now, my girl," he said, "I have come to put an end to this nonsense.
Have you a petticoat with you? Well, go upstairs and get it on. I
will wait for you here... On you, sir, I shall waste no words. From
what I have heard, you are as moonstruck as my daughter."

"Of course," I stammered, "I cannot expect you to understand the
situation, though I think, if you would allow me, I could in a very few
words make it somewhat clearer,--make you realise that, after all, it
has been a very innocent and childish escapade, in which there has been
no harm and a great deal of pleasure--"

But the Major-General cut me short.

"I should prefer," he said, "not to discuss the matter. I may say that
I realise that my daughter has been safe in your hands, however
foolish,"--for this I thanked him with a bow,--"but I must add that
your eccentric acquaintance must end here--"

I said him neither yea nor nay; and while we stood in armed and
embarrassed silence, Nicolete appeared with white face at the door,
clothed in her emergency petticoat. Alas! it was for no such emergency
as this that it had been