"Don't delude yourself," said Adrienne lightly; "nothing has been altered because of your visit. I had settled with my uncles that I should go over to my aunt. It was all arranged." The Admiral looked at her reproachfully. "My dear," he said, "be courteous. I feel deeply indebted to Count de Beaudessert for his interest in my sister, and for his loving thought and care of her. It is very good of him to have come down to us on her behalf." "Please drop the Count!" said the young man. "But thank you, sir, for your kind words. I don't get many of them." Adrienne looked a little ashamed of herself. For the rest of his stay she was sweetness itself. When he shook hands with her the next morning, he kept her hand in his for the fraction of a moment: "It is only 'au revoir,' and we part friends, do we not? I am forgiven for my audacious interference, for my dictatorial, dogmatic speeches?" Adrienne smiled up into his face. "If only you would not try to be so masterful, I think I should get to like you," she said. He dropped her hand. "If I was a genuine Frenchy," he said, "I would raise your hand to my lips. We are both, in spite of national prejudices, going to like each other very much." And then he got into the car awaiting him, and the General, overhearing his words, ejaculated: "Insufferable puppy!" CHAPTER V AT THE CHÂTEAU IT was towards the end of a lovely afternoon in May that Adrienne arrived at her destination. Both her uncles had accompanied her to town, and seen her off in the boat express to Dover. She had a quick, smooth passage across the Channel, then a long train journey to Paris, where she stayed for the night at a comfortable English hotel recommended by friends. She did a little sight-seeing in the morning, and then took the train on to Orleans. Here a car was waiting for her. The chauffeur, who could speak broken English, explained matters: "Monsieur, he mean to come hisself, but at last minute he called away—a terrible accident happen to Jean Lucien, he be the fermier—and Monsieur he drive him to hospital all quickly, and not return in time. And Madame he tell myself to come." Adrienne stepped into the car, and as she drove along the smooth, straight roads with their rows of poplar trees on either side, and noted the small patches of cultivated land, with the peasants tilling their ground, and the women and children busy hoeing and weeding in the bright sunshine, she felt that England was already very far away. A spasm of home-sickness crept into her heart, and then she laughed at it. "Why, I was breakfasting at home yesterday—it is too ridiculous of me. It takes no time to get here, and I can go back when I like."