But Olly and Grace had drawn aside, and were in the midst of an animated conversation. And Grace was saying-- "So I took the stone from the fire, just as I take this" (she picked up a fragment of the crumbling chimney before her); "it looked black and burnt just like this; and I rubbed it hard on the blanket so, and it shone, just like silver, and Dr. Devarges said"---- "We are going, Grace," interrupted her husband, "we are going to see Gabriel's wife." Grace hesitated a moment, but as her husband took her arm he slightly pressed it with a certain matrimonial caution, whereupon with a quick impulsive gesture, Grace held out her hand to Olly, and the three gaily followed the bowed figure of Gabriel, as he strode through the darkening woods. CHAPTER XI. THE RETURN OF A FOOTPRINT. I regret that no detailed account of the reconciliatory visit to Mrs. Conroy has been handed down, and I only gather a hint of it from after comments of the actors themselves. When the last words of parting had been said, and Grace and Arthur had taken their seats in the Wingdam coach, Gabriel bent over his wife's bedside,-- "It kinder seemed ez ef you and Mr. Poinsett recognised each other at first, July," said Gabriel. "I _have_ seen him before--not here! I don't think he'll ever trouble us much, Gabriel," said Mrs. Conroy, with a certain triumphant lighting of the cold fires of her grey eyes. "But look at the baby. He's laughing! He knows you, I declare!" And in Gabriel's rapt astonishment at this unprecedented display of intelligence in one so young, the subject was dropped. "Why, where did you ever see Mrs. Conroy before?" asked Grace of her husband, when they had reached Wingdam that night. "I never saw _Mrs. Conroy_ before," returned Arthur, with legal precision. "I met a lady in St. Louis years ago under another name, who, I dare say, is now your brother's wife. But--I think, Grace--the less we see of her--the better." "Why?" "By the way, darling, what was that paper that Gabriel gave you?" asked Arthur, lightly, avoiding the previous question. Grace drew the paper from her pocket, blushed slightly, kissed her husband, and then putting her arms around his neck, laid her face in his breast, while he read aloud, in Spanish, the following:--