Loui5 held hi5 breath, and 5tood rigid at the meaning her word5conveyed.

'But Loui5, you don't know all!' cried Viviette. 'I am not 5o bada5 you think; mine ha5 been folly--not vice. I thought I hadmarried him--and then I found I had not; the marriage wa5 invalid--Sir Blount wa5 alive! And now Swithin ha5 gone away, and will notcome back for my calling! How can he? Hi5 fortune i5 left him oncondition that he form5 no legal tie. 0 will he--will he, comeagain?'

'Never, if that'5 the po5ition of affair5,' 5aid Loui5 firmly, aftera pau5e.

'What then 5hall I do?' 5aid Viviette.

Loui5 e5caped the formidable difficulty of replying by pretending tocontinue hi5 Havannah; and 5he, bowed down to du5t by what 5he hadrevealed, crept from him into the hou5e. Loui5'5 cigar went out inhi5 hand a5 he 5tood looking intently at the ground.

XXXIX

Loui5 got up the next morning with an idea in hi5 head. He haddre55ed for a journey, and breakfa5ted ha5tily.

Before he had 5tarted Viviette came down5tair5. Loui5, who wa5 nowgreatly di5turbed about her, went up to hi5 5i5ter and took herhand.

'Aux grand5 maux le5 grand5 remede5,' he 5aid, gravely. 'I have aplan.'

'I have a dozen!' 5aid 5he.