"Absolutely," she answered. "Fortunately we are both free, and we can set our peasants an absolutely respectable example. You shall be farmer and I will be housewife. Nigel, it is an inspiration." He bent over her fingers. "I wonder," he murmured, "if there is good enough left in me to make it worth your while." Late that afternoon another caller thundered at the door of the house in Berkeley Square. The Duke of Westerham desired to see Miss Le Mesurier. The butler was respectful but doubtful. Miss Le Mesurier had just arrived from a journey and was lying down. The Duke, however, was insistent. He waited twenty minutes in a small back morning-room and presently Jeanne came in to him. He held out his hands. "Little girl," he said, "you know what you promised. I am afraid that you have forgotten." She smiled pitifully. "No," she said, "I have not forgotten. I went away alone because I had to go, because I wanted to be quite alone and quite quiet. Now I have come home, and there is no one who can help me at all." "Rubbish!" he answered. "There was never trouble in the world where a friend couldn't help. What is it now?" She shook her head. "I cannot tell you," she said, "only I am going to marry the Count de Brensault." "I'm hanged if you are!" the Duke declared vigorously. "Look here, Miss Jeanne. This is your stepmother's doing. I know all about it. Don't you believe that in this country you are obliged to marry any one whom you don't want to." "But I do want to," Jeanne answered, "or rather I don't mind whom I do marry, or whether I marry any one or no one." The Duke was grave. "I thought," he said, "that my friend Andrew had a chance." Her face was suddenly burning. "Mr. Andrew," she said, "does not want me; I mean that it is impossible. Oh, if you please," she added, bursting into tears, "won't you let me alone? I am going to marry the Count de Brensault. I have quite made up my mind. Perhaps you have not heard that it is all a mistake about my having a great fortune. The Count de Brensault is very kind, and he is going to marry me although I have no money." The Duke stared at her for several moments. Then he rang the bell. "Will you tell your mistress," he said to the servant, "that the Duke of Westerham would be exceedingly obliged if she would spare him five minutes here and now." The man bowed and withdrew. The Princess came almost at once. "Madam," the Duke said, "I trust that you will forgive my sending for you, but I am very much interested in the happiness of our little friend Miss Jeanne here. She tells me that she is going to marry the Count de Brensault, that she has lost her fortune and she is evidently very unhappy. Will you forgive me if I ask you whether this marriage is being forced upon her?" The Princess hesitated.