d, and had no difficulty in setting forth
his feelings. "The courier is in the saddle," he concluded. "De Casimir
tells me that I must finish. Write and tell me everything. How is
Mathilde? And your father? Is he in good health? How does he pass his
day? Does he still go out in the evening to his cafe?"

This seemed to be an afterthought, suggested perhaps by conversation
passing in the room in which he sat.

The other exile, writing from Stockholm, was briefer in his
communications.

"I am well," wrote Antoine Sebastian, "and hope to arrive soon after you
receive this. Felix Meyer, the notary, has instructions to furnish you
with money for household expenses."

It would appear that Sebastian possessed other friends in Dantzig, who
had kept him advised of all that passed in the city.

For neither Mathilde nor Desiree had obeyed Barlasch's blunt order to
write to their father. They did not know whither he had fled, neither
had they received any communication giving an address or a hint as to
his future movements. It would appear that the same direct and laconic
mind which had carried out his escape deemed it wiser that those left
behind should be in no position to furnish information.

In fairness to Barlasch, Desiree had made little of that soldier's part
in Sebastian's evasion, and Mathilde displayed small interest in such
details. She rather fastened, however, upon the assistance rendered by
Louis d'Arragon.

"Why did he do it?" she asked.

"Oh, because I asked him," was the reply.

"And why did you ask him?"

"Who else was there to ask?" returned Desiree, which was indeed
unanswerable.

Perhaps the question had been suggested to her by de Casimir, who, on
learning that Louis d'Arragon had helped her father to slip through the
Emperor's fingers, had asked the same in his own characteristic way.

"What could he hope to gain by doing it?" he had inquired as he
walked by Mathilde's side, along the Pfaffengasse. And he made other
interrogations respecting D'Arragon which Mathilde was no more able to
satisfy, as he accompanied her to the Frauengasse.

Since that time the dancing-lessons had been resumed to the music of a
hired fiddler, and Desiree had once more taken up her household task of
making both ends meet. She approached the difficulties as impetuously
as ever, and danced the stout pupils round the room with undiminished
energy.

"It seems no good at all, your being married," said one of these
br