"Do you think she is married?" asked Alain. "I hope so; for a girl of her age, if _comme il faut_, can scarcely walk alone in the Bois, and would not have acquired that look so intelligent, --more than intelligent,--so poetic." "But regard that air of unmistakable distinction; regard that expression of face,-so pure, so virginal: _comme il faut_ she must be." As Alain said these last words, the lady, who had turned back, was approaching them, and in full view of their gaze. She seemed unconscious of their existence as before, and Lemercier noticed that her lips moved as if she were murmuring inaudibly to herself. She did not return again, but continued her walk straight on till at the end of the alley she entered a carriage in waiting for her, and was driven off. "Quick, quick!" cried Lemercier, running towards his own coupe; "we must give chase." Alain followed somewhat less hurriedly, and, agreeably to instructions Lemercier had already given to his coachman, the Parisian's coupe set off at full speed in the track of the strange lady's, which was still in sight. In less than twenty minutes the carriage in chase stopped at the grille of one of those charming little villas to be found in the pleasant suburb of A-----; a porter emerged from the lodge, opened the gate; the carriage drove in, again stopped at the door of the house, and the two gentlemen could not catch even a glimpse of the lady's robe as she descended from the carriage and disappeared within the house. "I see a cafe yonder," said Lemercier; "let us learn all we can as to the fair unknown, over a _sorbet_ or a _petit verre_." Alain silently, but not reluctantly, consented. He felt in the fair stranger an interest new to his existence. They entered the little cafe, and in a few minutes Lemercier, with the easy _savoir vivre_ of a Parisian, had extracted from the _garcon_ as much as probably any one in the neighbourhood knew of the inhabitants of the villa. It had been hired and furnished about two months previously in the name of Signora Venosta; but, according to the report of the servants, that lady appeared to be the gouvernante or guardian of a lady much younger, out of whose income the villa was rented and the household maintained. It was for her the _coupe_ was hired from Paris. The elder lady very rarely stirred out during the day, but always accompanied the younger in any evening visits to the theatre or the houses of friends. It was only within the last few weeks that such visits had been made.