By not resenting it, he had laid me under a tremendous obligation, which he had increased until it was almost unbearable, by his after treatment: his refusal to take me prisoner, his risking his reputation and name as a soldier to shield me, his bestowal upon Master Dunner of the moneys which he had so generously offered to lend to my father in his strait, his advice and counsel as to what was to be done. Indeed, I could not with my life repay what he had done for us, or to be honest, not for us but for me, I thought. Yet I knew instinctively that I had it in my power to bestow upon him a reward which, unless I were greatly mistaken, would go far to compensate him for all. Under other circumstances, I would have considered his evident predilection for me, his admiration so boldly and yet so tactfully expressed, as the mere casual compliment of a gallant soldier; but his words were backed by deeds, and, strange as it might be, I could not disguise the fact from myself that the man's profession had been just short of ardent devotion to me and my fortunes, of passionate desire to have me for his own. Was I willing or unwilling? I had blushed many times before during this adventure, but all the colour rolled into one wave would not have equalled the rush of emotion that came over me when I put that question to myself and found but one answer in my heart. What a fool I was, to stand many a stubborn siege and fall at the lifted hand of the first wayside comer! And yet, how nobly he had behaved, how gallantly he had treated me, with what self-abnegation, with what generosity, with what infinite delicacy. He had shaken me by the hand like a man and called me his little comrade and clapped me on the shoulder and wished that I might be in his company. I admitted to myself that I could think of no sweeter command. If I were a fool, I even luxuriated and rejoiced in this my folly. Although I was intensely weary from my two days of hard journeying, the emotions through which I had gone, and the strain through which I had passed, it was a long time before I fell into the sound and dreamless sleep in which I sought recuperation from all the fatigues and excitements of the days before. I was awakened by the tapping of the serving-woman upon my door. When I made sleepy answer to her repeated summons, she said that Master Dunner was below and insisted upon seeing me at once, upon matters of the gravest import. I must hasten for life and death. I thrust my bare feet into a pair of slippers, threw over my night-dress a robe which lay at hand, and descended the stairs to the dining-room. With Master Dunner was another elderly gentleman, at the sight of whom I started back in great dismay, for I would not thus be seen by any other than he who was as a foster-father to me. But the attorney stayed my intended retreat. "This," said he, "is the learned Counsellor Abadie. You must waive ceremony and hear what is to be said."