Whether she objected to riding with me, or whether she suspected that I was set as a spy upon her, one could not have told from anything she said or did. She thanked me kindly, so kindly for my trouble, that I did not feel the pain of her refusal. She bade me lead her horse back to the stable and then re-entered the house. I had hardly taken the saddle off when Louis came in all apant with running. “Put it on again,” he cried. “She has changed her mind.” I resaddled the horse. Five minutes later Mistress Van Volkenberg stepped upon the terrace. She wore the same riding habit as before, but this time she wore a mask that concealed her features. When I helped her to mount, she bowed her thanks, but did not speak to me. Soon we were riding at a rapid pace through the park towards New York. I rode behind as fitted a man in my position. When we neared the Kissing Bridge she reined in her horse slowly till we rode side by side. I wondered at her action. Something little Pierre had said about Annetje and the way she always made him go before when they crossed the Kissing Bridge caused a shadow to fill my heart. Was my young mistress—? I did not have time to follow the thought further before she laid her hand upon my bridle. Both horses stopped with their front feet upon the bridge. I could see her eyes twinkling through the holes in her mask. “Why do we stop?” I asked. “Why do we stop? Why don’t you—” She laid her hand lightly upon my shoulder. “Why don’t you kiss me?” I started back suddenly. My companion burst into the happiest, merriest peal of laughter I ever heard. “What a coward. I shall tell Pierre.” With that she snatched off her mask. To my astonishment, I saw the dancing black eyes of my mistress’ maid, Annetje Dorn. CHAPTER XVIII ANOTHER SECRET BURIAL My astonishment was so complete that several minutes passed before I could find voice enough to ask what this deception meant. Annetje soon quieted her laughter and was ready to explain. “My dear mistress,” she began, “is an angel out of heaven. She is always making chances for me to see Pierre. To-day, when she would not go to Yorke with you, I begged her to let me go in her place. She is so sweet. She can never bear to say ‘no’ to anything unless someone does wrong.” Annetje indicated what would happen then by a disconsolate shrug of her shoulders. “I don’t know why she should have taken such a liking to you. I dare say now, if you had been here longer—oh, I don’t mean that at all. I think you are very—very—Shall we ride towards Yorke?” I could not help laughing a little at Annetje’s embarrassment. “Mistress Annetje,” I said. “I’m a bond-servant, sir. Plain Annetje, if you please.” “Plain Annetje, then, what is your purpose now?” “To put on my mask again. Now, I have it placed; will you tie it in the back? Look, here in my face; is it right? Do my ears show under the bottom?”