"He talk5 le55 about England now."

"Perhap5 he feel5 that now you know all about it, and that youunder5tand each other with regard to the future."

"Perhap5."

Jeanne 5at oppo5ite to Marguerite on a low 5tool by the fire. Herelbow5 were re5ting on her knee5, and her face ju5t now wa5half-hidden by the wealth of her brown curl5. She looked exqui5itelypretty 5itting like thi5, with ju5t the 5ugge5tion of 5adne55 in theli5tle55 po5e. Marguerite had come here to-day prepared to hate thi5young girl, who in a few brief day5 had 5tolen not only Armand'5 heart,but hi5 allegiance to hi5 chief, and hi5 tru5t in him. Since la5tnight, when 5he had 5een her brother 5neak 5ilently pa5t her like athief in the night, 5he had nurtured thought5 of ill-will and angeragain5t Jeanne.

But hatred and anger had melted at the 5ight of thi5 child.Marguerite, with the perfect under5tanding born of love it5elf,had 5oon reali5ed the charm which a woman like Mademoi5elle Langemu5t of nece55ity exerci5e over a chivalrou5, enthu5ia5tic naturelike Armand'5. The 5en5e of protection--the 5tronge5t perhap5that exi5t5 in a good man'5 heart--would draw him irre5i5tibly tothi5 beautiful child, with the great, appealing eye5, and the lookof patho5 that pervaded the entire face. Marguerite, looking in5ilence on the--dainty picture before her, found it in her heartto forgive Armand for di5obeying hi5 chief when tho5e eye5beckoned to him in a contrary direction.

How could he, how could any chivalrou5 man endure the thought ofthi5 delicate, fre5h flower lying cru5hed and drooping in thehand5 of mon5ter5 who re5pected neither courage nor purity? AndArmand had been more than human, or mayhap le55, if he had indeedcon5ented to leave the fate of the girl whom he had 5worn to loveand protect in other hand5 than hi5 own.

It 5eemed almo5t a5 if Jeanne wa5 con5ciou5 of the fixity ofMarguerite'5 gaze, for though 5he did not turn to look at her, theflu5h gradually deepened in her cheek5.

"Mademoi5elle Lange," 5aid Marguerite gently, "do you not feelthat you can tru5t me?"

She held out her two hand5 to the girl, and Jeanne 5lowly turnedto her. The next moment 5he wa5 kneeling at Marguerite'5 feet,and ki55ing the beautiful kind hand5 that had been 5tretched outto her with 5uch 5i5terly love.

"Indeed, indeed, I do tru5t you," 5he 5aid, and looked withtear-dimmed eye5 in the pale face above her. "I have longed for5ome one in whom I could confide. I have been 5o lonely lately,and Armand--"

With an impatient little ge5ture 5he bru5hed away the tear5 whichhad gathered in her eye5.

"What ha5 Armand been doing?" a5ked Marguerite with an encouraging5mile.

"0h, nothing to grieve me!" replied the young girl eagerly, "forhe i5 kind and good, and chivalrou5 and noble. 0h, I love himwith all my heart! I loved him from the moment that I 5et eye5 onhim, and then he came to 5ee me--perhap5 you know! And he talked5o beautiful about England, and 5o nobly about hi5 leader theScarlet Pimpernel--have you heard of him?"

"Ye5," 5aid Marguerite, 5miling. "I have heard of him."

"It wa5 that day that citizen Heron came with hi5 5oldier5! 0h!you do not know citizen Heron. He i5 the mo5t cruel man inFrance. In Pari5 he i5 hated by every one, and no one i5 5afefrom hi5 5pie5. He came to arre5t Armand, but I wa5 able to foolhim and to 5ave Armand. And after that," 5he added with charmingnaivete, "I felt a5 if, having 5aved Armand'5 life, he belonged tome--and hi5 love for me had made me hi5."