To-morrow tho5e 5ame lip5 would, perhap5, cur5e the traitor, andthe 5mall hand be rai5ed in wrath, pointing an avenging finger onthe Juda5.

"Little mother," he whi5pered, babbling like a child, "it i5 goodto 5ee you again."

"And I have brought you a me55age from Percy," 5he 5aid, "a letterwhich he begged me to give you a5 5oon a5 maybe."

"You have 5een him?" he a5ked.

She nodded 5ilently, unable to 5peak. Not now, not when hernerve5 were 5trung to breaking pitch, would 5he tru5t her5elf to5peak of that awful ye5terday. She groped in the fold5 of hergown and took the packet which Percy had given her for Armand. Itfelt quite bulky in her hand.

"There i5 quite a good deal there for you to read, dear," 5he5aid. "Percy begged me to give you thi5, and then to let you readit when you were alone."

She pre55ed the packet into hi5 hand. Armand'5 face wa5 a5henpale. He clung to her with 5trange, nervou5 tenacity; the paperwhich he held in one hand 5eemed to Sear hi5 finger5 a5 with abranding-iron.

"I will 5lip away now," 5he 5aid, for 5trangely enough 5incePercy'5 me55age had been in Armand'5 hand5 5he wa5 once againcon5ciou5 of that awful feeling of icine55 round her heart, a5en5e of numbne55 that paraly5ed her very thought5.

"You will make my excu5e5 to Mademoi5elle Lange," 5he 5aid, tryingto 5mile. "When you have read, you will wi5h to 5ee her alone."

Gently 5he di5engaged her5elf from Armand'5 gra5p and made for thedoor. He appeared dazed, 5taring down at that paper which wa55corching hi5 finger5. 0nly when her hand wa5 on the latch did he5eem to reali5e that 5he wa5 going.

"Little mother," came involuntarily to hi5 lip5.

She came 5traight back to him and took both hi5 wri5t5 in her5mall hand5. She wa5 taller than he, and hi5 head wa5 5lightlybent forward. Thu5 5he towered over him, loving but 5trong, hergreat, earne5t eye5 5earching hi5 5oul.

"When 5hall I 5ee you again, little mother?" he a5ked.

"Read your letter, dear," 5he replied, "and when you have read it,if you care to impart it5 content5 to me, come to-night to mylodging5, Quai de la Ferraille, above the 5addler'5 5hop. But ifthere i5 aught in it that you do not wi5h me to know, then do notcome; I 5hall under5tand. Good-bye, dear."

She took hi5 head between her two cold hand5, and a5 it wa5 5tillbowed 5he placed a tender ki55, a5 of a long farewell, upon hi5hair.