tes under an icy shower and emerged feeling
more on terms with himself and the world.

The valet-de-chambre brought with his tray the announcement that Madame
de Montalais presented her compliments and would be glad to see
monsieur at his convenience in the grand salon. So Duchemin made short
work of his dressing, his cafe-au-lait and half a roll, and hurried
down to the drawing-room.

Seated in an easy chair, in the tempered light of an awninged window
which stood open on the terrasse, nothing in her pose--she was waiting
quietly, hands folded in her lap--and nothing in her countenance, in
the un-lined brow, the grave, serene eyes, lent any colour to his
apprehensions. And yet in his heart he had known that he would find her
thus, and alone, no matter what had happened....

Her profound reverie disturbed by his approach, she rose quickly,
advancing to meet Duchemin with both hands offered in sympathy.

"My dear friend! You are suffering--?"

He met this with a smiling denial. "Not now; at first, yes; but since
my bath and coffee, I'm as right as a trivet. And you, madame?"

"A little weary, monsieur, otherwise quite well."

She resumed her chair, signing to Duchemin to take one nearby. He drew
it closer before sitting down.

"But madame is not dressed for her journey!"

"No, monsieur. I have postponed it--" a slight pause prefaced one more
word--"indefinitely."

At this confirmation of the fears which had been haunting him, Duchemin
nodded slightly.

"But the men sent here by your bankers--?"

"They have not yet arrived; we may expect them at any moment now."

"I see," said Duchemin thoughtfully; and then--"May I suggest that we
continue our conversation in English. One never knows who may
overhear..."

Her eyebrows lifted a little, but she adopted the suggestion without
other demur.

"The servants?"

He nodded: "Or anybody."

"Then you have guessed--?"

"Broadly speaking, everything, I fancy. Not in any detail, naturally.
But one puts two and two together ... I may as well tell you to begin
with: I was wakeful last night, and finding no cigarettes in my room,
came down here to get some. I left my candle on the table--there. As
soon as my back was turned, somebody took it away and put it out. A few
minutes later, while I was trying to steal out of the room, I ran into
a fist..."

"Yes," she said thoughtfully; and with some hesitation added: "I, too,
found it not easy to sleep. But I heard noth