eu, at the foot, and straggling halfway up the slope, of the shallow hill that was crowned by the squat manor. By the time Gavrillac had paid tribute to its seigneu

ot half so hard, for instance, as with the wretched feudatories of the great Lord of La Tour d'Azyr,

es of existence, it was a squat, flat-fronted edifice of two stories, each lighted by four windows with external wooden shutters, and flanked at either end by two square towers or pavilions under extinguisher roofs. Standing well back in a garden,

een centred in his woods and pastures. He hunted, and he cultivated his acres, and superficially he appeared to be little better than any of his rustic metayers. He kept no state, or at least no state commensurate with his position or with the tastes of his niece Aline de Kercadiou. Aline, having spent some two years in the court atmosphere of Versailles under the aegis of her uncle Etienne, had ideas very different from those of her uncle Quintin of what was befitting seigneurial dignity.

a close-fitting bonnet, edged with white fur. It was caught tight in a knot of pale-blue ribbon on the right of her chin; on the left a long ringlet of corn-coloured ha

in view of his spiritual relationship with her uncle - she called her cousin. The cousinly relations had persisted betwe

n entrancing picture, and fully conscious of it - to await them at the

nely, messieurs," she told them, a certain feverishness i

llantly over the hand she extended to him. "Indeed, who woul

orders I shall take you for my confessor. You

id Andre–Louis. "You h

t you mean, C

y in the country. It was a beautifully sprung two-horse cabriolet of walnut, with a varnish upon it like a sheet of glass and little pastoral scenes exquisitely painted on the panels of the door. It was built to carry two persons, with a box in front for the coachman,

it M. de La Tour d'Azyr

of mystery in voice and eyes, of wh

and. "Serviteur, mademoiselle," and

u, Philippe?" Andre–L

t," said M. de Vilmorin, with a glance at mademoiselle.

ter a moment's blank pause, laughed ripplin

d'Azyr as well as your

don't ask me why, Andre." There was an arch mysteriousness about her, a latent something th

all eagerness to tell, wh

if you ask. Oh, yes, I will. It will teach you

all never fa

he visit of M. de La Tour d'Azyr. I am the object of this visit." An

is obvious. But I am a dolt, if you

comes to ask my h

re–Louis, and stared

with a frown and an upward tilt

y. "In fact, I don't believe it.

monsieur. There came a formal letter to my uncle this morning from M. de La Tour d'Azyr, ann

nderstand. For a moment I had almost feared . .

hat I should permit the court-ship of me to be conducted like that of any village

all that matters, acc

t el

is yo

a dutiful niece . .

dutiful if your uncle acce

dled. "And why monst

reasons," he ans

e," she cha

twice y

o much,"

rty-five,

will admit; nor will you deny that he is very wealthy and very powerf

you that

almost be polite." And she moved along t

why you should not let this beast befoul

ened. "You are speaking of my f

ed too; his pale

ou are to be sold thus, lovelessly, into bondage to a man you

be Marquise de

igh-sounding titles are to be its only aims? I had set you high - so high, Aline - a thing scarce earthly. There is joy in your heart, intelligence in your mind; and, as I thought, the vision tha

dlong to conclusions. My uncle will not consent to more than to allow my consent to be s

his eyes glowing, a flush cr

use yourself!" he cried. "Ah, wel

y his preference when I consider his eminence. It is an eminence that I may find it desirable to share. M. le Marquis does not look as if he were a dullard. It should be i

of that childlike face so tightly framed in the oval of white

ou, Aline!"

ly very exasperating, and somethi

insolent,

I did no more than pray, as I shall contin

owing angry, as he saw by the deep

s - the realities that you will never know, because these cursed shams will block your way to them. When M. de La Tour d'Azyr comes to make his

n you. You abuse the position of toleration in which you stand. Who are you?

ched self again, and resumed the m

e readiness with which you begin to adapt

nsieur," she retorted angrily,

hty feet of Madame la Marquise. I h

perceived that her eyes were shining now suspiciously. In

ine!" he cried, as he advanc

forgiveness from him. But his

rovided that you underta

I will fight to save you, from yourself i

her a little breathlessly, a little defian

nfully set upon his shoulders. He was magnificently dressed in a full-skirted coat of mulberry velvet that was laced with gold. His waistcoat, of velvet too, was of a golden apricot colour; his breeches and stockings were of black silk, a

dinary a manner disdain and graciousness, Andre–Louis trembled for Aline. Here was a practised, irresistible wooer, whose bonnes fortunes were beco

containing an indifferent allotment of intelligence. His countenance was pink and blotchy, liberally branded by the smallpox which had almost extinguished him in youth. In dress he was careless to the point of unt

morin, very pale and self-contained,

abrillane, M. de La Tour d'Azyr's cousin, who whilst awaiting his return had watched with conside

d himself from the others, and lengthening his

s position. By virtue of the theory of his birth, he ranked neither as noble nor as simple, but stood somewhere between the two classes, and whilst claimed

demoiselle extended to him, and b

, "monsieur your uncle does me the honour to permit that I pay my homage to you. Will you, mademoiselle, do

o fear on the serene little face in its furred hood. It was not for not

, "is very far

e to yourself, mo

swered her, a world of mean

course, I am a dutiful niece. It follows

r the honour. To-morrow at this hour, then,

lips, what time she curtsied. Thereupon, with no mo

uckled shoes - and she felt guilty of an unpardonable offence in having permitted even one word of that presumptuous criticism. To-morrow M. le Marquis would come to offer her a great position, a great rank. And already she had derogated from the increase of dignity accru

tter self and to her vast annoyance her bet

also had a word for M. de Vilmorin in reply to which M. de Vilmorin had bowed in assenting silence. The carriage rolled away, th

m through that of Andre Louis,

. "We'll drink a certain toast," he added, winking an eye that strayed towards

t that prevented him doing himself th

you,

d no wish to remain. He was angry with Aline for her smiling reception of M. de La Tour d'Azyr and the