"And it was very dark by the time we reached the village of--of Balaméda, if my memory does not play me false, madame." "I do not remember the name of the village, monsieur, but what I do, and what I always shall remember, is your extreme kindness; for after you had escorted us to the village, you had to make great haste to overtake your party, which was travelling northward, it seems to me." "Yes, madame." "And you overtook your friends without any unpleasant accident, I trust? We felt very uneasy on that score, the roads along those precipices are so dangerous; besides, those same bandits might still be lurking behind the rocks." "My return was made in the most peaceful manner. My mule only had to quicken his pace a little, that is all." "You must admit, monsieur, that it is very singular that an acquaintance made in the wilds of Chili should be renewed in the garden of the Luxembourg." "It is, indeed, madame. But I see that it is beginning to snow. Will you permit me to offer you my arm and a shelter under my umbrella, until we can reach the nearest cab-stand?" "I really fear that I am trespassing too much on your kindness," replied the lady, accepting the proffered courtesy, nevertheless. Arm in arm, they accordingly directed their steps towards the cab-stand near the Odéon. They found but one vehicle there. The young woman entered it, but her companion, from delicacy, seemed in doubt as to whether he should or should not follow her. "What are you waiting for, monsieur?" the lady asked, affably. "There are no other carriages here; will you not make use of this one?" "I scarcely dared to ask such a favour," replied the gentleman, eagerly availing himself of the permission thus accorded. Then-- "What address shall I give the coachman?" he added. "Ask him to take me where the Rue de Rivoli intersects the Place de la Concorde," replied the lady, with some slight embarrassment. "I will wait under the arcade there until it stops snowing, as I have some business to attend to in that locality." This order given, the coachman turned his horses' heads towards the right bank of the Seine. "Do you know, I think our meeting more and more marvellous," remarked the young woman. "While I admit that the meeting is singular, it seems to me even more agreeable than singular." "No compliments, if you please, monsieur. They do very well for people who have nothing else to say to each other; and I confess that if you are inclined to gratify my curiosity, you will not have answered half the questions I want to put to you, when the time comes for us to separate." "You should not tell me that; I shall be sure to become very diffuse in my style of conversation, in the hope that your curiosity--" "Will inspire me with the desire to meet you a second time, if you do not tell me all to-day. Is that what you mean?" "Yes, madame." The lady smiled faintly, then she continued: