The lady sat down, and asked for a glass of orange water, to restore her strength after the shock she had received. Adhémar showed the druggist his burned wrist, which was first bathed in cold water, then covered with something guaranteed to heal the burn in a short time. But he had to submit to have his arm bandaged and to carry it in a sling for a while, for the wound was of considerable size. While all this was being done, our two friends had time to look at each other, and--which was natural enough--tried to make out each other's individuality. The person who had nearly been burned to death was about twenty-five years of age, tall and slender and well built; her face, which usually wore a grave expression, became very attractive when she smiled; her black eyes were beautiful and very expressive, and the eyebrows which surmounted them were thin, but perfectly arched. Her hair was black, her Niobe-like nose but slightly prominent. Taken all in all, she was a very comely person; she was stylishly dressed, and her manners denoted high social position. Adhémar discovered all this while his arm was being dressed. On her side, the lady had scrutinized the man who had rendered her such a signal service, and we know that the scrutiny could not be unfavorable to him. "Mon Dieu! monsieur, I am terribly distressed. You are really badly burned," she said, while Adhémar's wrist was being bandaged. "Oh! no, madame; it will very soon be all right." "Yes," said the druggist, "very soon; but you will probably carry the mark of this burn to your dying day." "Well, it will be an honorable scar!--Pray consider, madame, that you might have been seriously burned; what does this amount to, compared with the danger by which you were threatened?" She made no direct reply, but looked down at her dress and cried: "It is impossible for me to go out in this condition; the whole skirt of my dress is burned. Is there no way of getting a cab?" "Surely, madame," the druggist replied; "I will send for one for you." "I shall be greatly obliged to you, monsieur." Adhémar, the bandaging being completed, seemed to hesitate as to what he should do; but at last he bowed, and said to his companion: "As you have no further need of my services, madame, I will take my leave of you." The lady blushed slightly, but she detained Adhémar, saying with some hesitation: "Excuse me, monsieur, for keeping you longer; but I should be very glad to know the name of the gentleman who risked his--who was badly burned in my service?--Mon Dieu! I am too presumptuous--I beg your pardon." "There is nothing presumptuous in your request, madame; on the contrary, it is most flattering to me." And, as he spoke, Adhémar took his card from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it, looked at it eagerly, and her face assumed an expression of satisfaction.