e General's tears, she bethought her of
going to comfort the old man, and had just arrived for the purpose when
I entered. Fortunately, the poor General did not know that his fate had
been decided--that Mlle. had long ago packed her trunks in readiness
for the first morning train to Paris!

Hesitating a moment on the threshold I changed my mind as to entering,
and departed unnoticed. Ascending to my own room, and opening the door,
I perceived in the semi-darkness a figure seated on a chair in the
corner by the window. The figure did not rise when I entered, so I
approached it swiftly, peered at it closely, and felt my heart almost
stop beating. The figure was Polina!

XIV

The shock made me utter an exclamation.

"What is the matter? What is the matter?" she asked in a strange voice.
She was looking pale, and her eyes were dim.

"What is the matter?" I re-echoed. "Why, the fact that you are HERE!"

"If I am here, I have come with all that I have to bring," she said.
"Such has always been my way, as you shall presently see. Please light
a candle."

I did so; whereupon she rose, approached the table, and laid upon it an
open letter.

"Read it," she added.

"It is De Griers' handwriting!" I cried as I seized the document. My
hands were so tremulous that the lines on the pages danced before my
eyes. Although, at this distance of time, I have forgotten the exact
phraseology of the missive, I append, if not the precise words, at all
events the general sense.

"Mademoiselle," the document ran, "certain untoward circumstances
compel me to depart in haste. Of course, you have of yourself remarked
that hitherto I have always refrained from having any final explanation
with you, for the reason that I could not well state the whole
circumstances; and now to my difficulties the advent of the aged
Grandmother, coupled with her subsequent proceedings, has put the final
touch. Also, the involved state of my affairs forbids me to write with
any finality concerning those hopes of ultimate bliss upon which, for a
long while past, I have permitted myself to feed. I regret the past,
but at the same time hope that in my conduct you have never been able
to detect anything that was unworthy of a gentleman and a man of
honour. Having lost, however, almost the whole of my money in debts
incurred by your stepfather, I find myself driven to the necessity of
saving the remainder; wherefore, I have instructed certain friends of
min