I made haste to call on Merton, and finding him in, related my fortunate meeting with Mme. Bellegarde, and told him what she expected us to do. He was much pleased, and I happy in finding for our purpose a man whom no one was likely to watch. I urged him, however, to be cautious, and went away, arranging that he should call on me after the ball, even though his visit might be far on in the night. I was too curious and too anxious to wait longer. It was after three in the morning when he aroused me from the nap into which I had fallen. "By George!" he cried, "she is a delightful and a brave woman. I told you so; but, good heavens! she is in a sad scrape." "Well, what is it? Has she robbed the Bank of France?" "Worse. I told you it was some diplomatic tangle. I was right. It is a big one." "For Heaven's sake, go on!" "She is beautiful." "Of course; I know that. But what happened?" "I said she was beautiful." "Yes, twice, and you have never seen her face." "No, but you told me so. However, I went early and waited about the door until she came in. I kept her in sight. It wasn't easy. A half-hour later I got my chance. She had been left by her last partner near a small picture-gallery, and was chatting with an old lady. I said, 'It is my dance, I believe.' She rose at once. As we moved away I whispered, 'Lincoln,' and on her replying, 'America,' she guided me through the gallery and at last into a small conservatory and behind some orange-trees. No one was near. 'One moment,' she said; 'even here I am not free.' I saw no evidence of her being watched, but she was, I fancied, in an agony of apprehension. As I mentioned my name and tried to reassure her, she let fall her black domino saying, 'Quick, push it under that sofa!' She wore beneath it a pearl-colored silk domino, and, of course, was still masked." "By George!" said I, "a woman of resources. How clever that was!" Merton went on: "Then we sat down, I saying: 'Be cool, and don't hurry. You are entirely secure.' She did go on, and what a story! She said: