e me the key--and last
night--oh, mademoiselle, mademoiselle, can you not understand?--I came
here, and--and I came again to-night. See, mademoiselle--it is so easy
to believe! You do believe! Father Anton will tell you that it is all
true, and that I have been in Bernay-sur-Mer all this time.
Mademoiselle, mademoiselle--you do believe!"

Myrna Bliss was staring at Marie-Louise in startled amazement.

"You mean--you mean," she said, in a low, tense way; "you mean that
Jean knows nothing of this--that he does not know that you are even in
Paris, that he has not seen you since he left Bernay-sur-Mer?"

"But, yes; yes, yes, yes, mademoiselle, it is so, all that--it is so!"
Marie-Louise answered feverishly. "And--and he must not know now,
mademoiselle--he must not know now."

And then Myrna Bliss smiled ironically.

"I will see to that!" she said grimly. "You need have no fear on that
score, if what you say is true!" She turned abruptly from
Marie-Louise, walked straight to the "_Fille du Regiment_," and gazed
at it for a moment. Then, scarcely aloud: "'The womanhood of France,'
he had said ... 'The model in his heart.'" And so Jean did not know!
Well, if that were so, she would take very good care that he never did
know! It seemed incredible, but the girl's sincerity was not to be
denied. She laughed out sharply, and wheeled back upon Marie-Louise.
"Well, and what now?" she said coldly; and then, thrusting quickly:
"Are you aware that I am to marry Monsieur Laparde?"

Marie-Louise's face blanched.

"Yes," she said faintly.

"And so"--the scathing tones were back in Myrna's voice--"and so you
were just playing with fire! Well, are you satisfied with what you
have done? If Jean Laparde lives it will be no thanks to you; if he
dies it will be you who--"

Marie-Louise put out her hands as though to ward off a blow. She was
swaying upon her feet.

"Not that--not that, mademoiselle!"--she could scarcely force the words
to her lips. "Do not say it, mademoiselle! I know that it is
true--God in his infinite pity, have pity on me!--but do not say it! I
will go away, mademoiselle--I will go away--for always. I will wait
only to know that--that Jean is well, for the _bon Dieu_ will not let
him die--and then--and then I will go--and then I--" A great sob shook
her frame, and covering her face with her hands she sank down again
upon the modelling platform.

She was conscious that Mademoiselle Bliss was st