it would be better for him to go back to Ville Bambord--I am sure
of it."

The girl's lip curled angrily. What right had this great lady to
interfere with her or hers? What did she mean?

"My uncle is a general and a brave man; he can take care of himself,"
she answered defiantly. Madame Chalice did not smile at the title.
She admired the girl's courage. She persisted however. "He is one man,
and--"

"He has plenty of men, madame, and His Excellency--"

"His Excellency and hundreds of men cannot stand, if the Government send
soldiers against them."

"Why should the Gover'ment do that? They're only going to France; they
mean no trouble here."

"They have no right to drill and conspire here, my girl."

"Well, my uncle and his men will fight; we'll all fight," Elise
retorted, her hands grasping the arms of the rocking-chair she sat in.

"But why shouldn't we avoid fighting? What is there to fight for?
You are all very happy here. You were very happy here before Monsieur
Valmond came. Are you happy now?"

Madame Chalice's eyes searched the flushed face anxiously. She was
growing more eager every moment to serve, if she could, this splendid
creature.

"We would die for him!" answered the girl quickly.

"You would die for him," came the reply, slowly, meaningly.

"And what's it to you, if I would?" came the sharp retort. "Why do you
fine folk meddle yourselves with poor folk's affairs?"

Then, remembering she was a hostess, with the instinctive courtesy of
her race, she said: "Ah, pardon, madame; you meant nothing, I'm sure."

"Why should fine folk make poor folk unhappy?" said Madame Chalice,
quietly and sorrowfully, for she saw that Elise was suffering, and all
the woman in her came to her heart and lips. She laid her hand on the
girl's arm. "Indeed yes, why should fine folk make poor folk unhappy? It
is not I alone who makes you unhappy, Elise."

The girl angrily shook off the hand, for she read the true significance
of the words.

"What are you trying to find out?" she asked fiercely. "What do you want
to do? Did I ever come in your way? Why do you come into mine? What's
my life to you? Nothing, nothing at all. You're here to-day and away
to-morrow. You're English; you're not of us. Can't you see that I want
to be left alone?

"If I were unhappy, I could look after myself. But I'm not, I'm not--I
tell you I'm not! I'm happy. I never knew what happiness was till now.
I'm so happy that I can stand her