She had not waited very long when slow heavy feet came tramping through the stone court, the house door opened and shut with a clang, and Monsieur Urbain came into the room. As he took Anne's hand and kissed it in the old pretty fashion, she looked anxiously into his face, a very sad face in these days. Urbain's philosophy had been hardly tried of late. And his wife was not mistaken in fancying that something new had happened that day to deepen the hollows round his eyes, the lines on his rugged brow. She would not, even dared not ask, for reasons of her own. It might well be that his grief and her joy should run on the same lines. Anne had been praying for something; she was half afraid, though she fully expected, to hear that her prayer was granted. Urbain sat down by the fire, and stretched out his feet and hands to the blaze. "Where are the children?" he said. Anne smiled very sweetly. "Out somewhere in the moonlight. Ange thinks there is nothing for Hélène like fresh air." "From her looks, he is right." "It is not only the fresh air--" Anne broke off, then went on again. "Well, my friend, you went to Sonnay--you took the child to the convent?" "Yes--she will be very safe there for a time--the reverend mothers received her excellently. I do not care for convents, as you know, but I am not sure that Henriette, even at this early age, has not found her vocation. Till to-day, I do not think I had seen the child smile since--" "Ah, yes--" Anne murmured something under her breath. "Did you see Monsieur de Mauves?" "For a few minutes. I talked so long with the Prioress that it was late before I reached the Prefecture. He had been to Paris. He explained all that tissue of rascality to the Emperor, so that no blame might fall on the wrong shoulders. Luckily His Majesty disliked Ratoneau; the man smoked and swore too much to please him." "But after all," Anne said thoughtfully, "the Prefect drew up those papers himself, if he did not send them. And you, Urbain--" He waved his hand sadly, impatiently. "No more of me, I am punished enough," he said. "I thought I was acting for everybody's good--but alas!--Yes, De Mauves drew up the papers, and then repented. He threw them into a drawer, and determined at least to delay sending them till circumstances and Ratoneau should force his hand further. Then came his illness; recovering, he believed the papers to be safe in his bureau, and left this affair, with many others, to arrange itself later. In the meanwhile, the rascal Simon had corrupted his foolish young secretary and stolen the papers--you know the rest. I suppose we should be glad that he found out in time--" "Can any one be otherwise than glad?" Anne said gravely. "Yes, my dear, there are those who are very sorry. And--before you blame them too hardly, remember that Angelot's marriage was the immediate cause of Joseph's death."