It may be asked, What was Mademoiselle to me, who had never so much as seen her face clearly, never spoken three words to her, never touched her hand? I answer, Nothing! And yet my heart leaped; perhaps because Monsieur de Commines' interference piqued me, perhaps--but at twenty-five one does not stop to analyse a perhaps that makes the heart leap! It is still the age of impulse and half-blind instinct, and these ask no questions. Rising, I slipped out into the growing dusk and waited without a thought as to whether or no there was a priest behind his grille ready to give comfort to the sinner. Presently she came. "Mademoiselle!" and I bared my head. With a little twitch of her skirts she stood aside, straightening herself. "What?" she said. "Even on the very church step? Oh, for shame, Monsieur, for shame!" "No, no," I protested, "you mistake." "Prove it, Monsieur," she retorted; "prove it by going your way while I go mine." But as she had moved so had I, and the waning light fell sufficiently strongly on the gay greens and yellows of my bruised forehead for her to see them. "Ah!" she cried, drawing in her breath, "you come from--from--Monseigneur? You were with us in the Paris inn and are the servant of that Monsieur Hellewyl he said he knew? What is your message? Has he seen the King?" "I have no message, Mademoiselle, and it is I who am Gaspard Hellewyl." "You? But it was the other----" "That was a mistake and----" "No message? Then whoever you may be, Monsieur, what have I to do with you, or you with me?" "Nothing, Mademoiselle, except----" and I stopped, not knowing how to answer her. The pain of her disappointment was written on her face, and I, in my blundering want of thought, had brought it there. The optimism of her youth had jumped to the comfort of the hope that Monsieur de Commines had already good news for her, and that I had brought it. Now the reaction galled her like a blow; I could have cursed myself for my tactless want of foresight. But her gentle womanhoods found an excuse even for that stupidity. "Except--?" and her face softened.