ean!"

He stopped and turned. She was near him.

"You are going without wishing me good-by?"

"I beg your pardon, I am very tired."

"Then you must not walk home, the weather is threatening," she extended
her hand out-of-doors, "it is raining already."

"Come and have a cup of tea in the little drawing-room, and I will tell
them to drive you home," and turning toward one of the footmen, "tell
them to send a carriage round directly."

"No, Miss Percival, pray, the open air will revive me. I must walk, let
me go."

"Go, then, but you have no greatcoat, take something to wrap yourself
in."

"I shall not be cold--while you with that open dress--I shall go to
oblige you to go in." And without even offering his hand, he ran quickly
down the steps.

"If I touch her hand," he thought, "I am lost, my secret will escape
me."

His secret! He did not know that Bettina read his heart like an open
book.

When Jean had descended the steps, he hesitated one short moment, these
words were upon his lips:

"I love you, I adore you, and that is why I will see you no more!"

But he did not utter these words, he fled away and was soon lost in the
darkness.

Bettina remained there against the brilliant background made by the
light from the hall. Great drops of rain, driven by the wind, swept
across her bare shoulders and made her shiver; she took no notice, she
distinctly heard her heart beat.

"I knew very well that he loved me," she thought, "but now I am very
sure, that I, too--oh! yes! I, too!--"

All at once, in one of the great mirrors in the hall door, she saw the
reflection of the two footmen who stood there motionless, near the oak
table in the hall. Bettina heard bursts of laughter and the strains of
the waltz; she stopped. She wished to be alone, completely alone, and
addressing one of the servants, she said:

"Go and tell your mistress that I am very tired, and have gone to my own
room."

Annie, her maid, had fallen asleep, in an easy-chair. She sent her away.
She would undress herself. She let herself sink on a couch, she was
oppressed with delicious emotion.

The door of her room opened, it was Mrs. Scott.

"You are not well, Bettina?"

"Oh, Susie, is it you, my Susie? how nice of you to come. Sit here,
close to me, quite close to me."

She hid herself like a child in the arms of her sister, caressing with
her burning brow Susie's fresh shoulders. Then she suddenly burst into
sobs, great sobs, whi