"Yes, let her come at once. I must hear all I can. How did Agatha know we were in danger? Oh, Guy, do you remember? I saw her distinctly on the lawn, showing us where the fire was. Was it really her?" "It could not have been. You must remember, they live close to the Church on the top of the hill. We are nearly a mile away." "Then it was her spirit. I saw her distinctly. Poor, brave little Agatha! Oh, Guy, are our lives worth saving at such a cost? She is a loss to the whole village. What do they feel about it?" "They are absolutely dumbfounded! And in a way it has pulled us all together again, and produced better feeling all round. We are mourning together for her. There was quite a scene at her funeral; the men broke down, and sobbed as broken-heartedly as the women. I'll get Marie to come up and see you this afternoon." Marie came. She looked quite old and stricken, and at first she and Adrienne could only mingle their tears together. Then Marie began to relate the events of that evening. "My darling had been very troubled for some time, Madame, about the 'evil' in the village. That was what she called it. I know in her heart she associated it with Monsieur Dragominsk, but she will never let herself speak evil of anyone. Ah, Madame! I cannot remember that she is gone, that I must speak of her in the past! She said to me about five o'clock that evening: "'Marie, I am overpressed with the weight of danger and evil. What does it mean?' "'You worry too much,' I said to her. "'But,' she said, 'that is not my way; evils never lie heavily on me, for what my Father allows, I bend my head to. He knows best. But to-day I keep having the Count and the dear Countess before me. And our Château is threatened in some way. I know it is. And I have a feeling that I am called to save it.' "Then I tried to soothe her, and I told her the way to keep you from evil was to pray for you. Whilst we were talking, I got an urgent summons from Tournet Farm the other side of the village. The woman was expecting her seventh child, and she was taken before her time. They often send for me, as you know, Madame, and I could not but go. Oh, if I only had stayed, I should have had my darling alive to-day! But I went. She wanted me to. She said she would be quite safe and comfortable till I returned. And she looked up at me and smiled in her happy way: "'You know, my Marie,' she said; 'if I sleep, I shall not miss you, and if I lie wakeful, I shall have happy talks with my Father. He is so very, very close to me in the still hours of darkness. Go and do not give me another thought.' "We kissed each other. I placed a glass of milk by her bedside, and the lamp, and made her comfortable for the night. How little I thought I had taken a last farewell of her!" Sobs choked her voice. "Did anyone run in and tell her that they were going to burn the Château?"