"Perhaps I don't," she returned, laughing softly and shrugging her shoulders, "but evidently your cousin does. If not, she should take her arms from around his neck." "But she is mistaken," I insisted. "She seems to be convinced," answered Bettina, with a curious little glance up to me, half laughing, half inquiring. Evidently she was doubtful whether I spoke in jest or in earnest. Frances still clung to the Abbé, her head resting on his shoulder, so I started toward her, intending to correct her mistake. Bettina, seeing my purpose, caught me by the arm, saying:-- "Don't you really know?" The Abbé turned his face toward me, and when I caught a glimpse of his eyes without spectacles, I recognized George Hamilton, and almost choked myself in smothering a cry. Frances turned to me, asking indignantly, "Why did not you tell me?" "Because I did not know," I answered, hardly able to believe the truth. But we had important business before us, and I knew that we should prepare for it before Lilly came in. So George, Bettina, Frances, and I went to a window at the far end of the room to hold a consultation. "Since I did not recognize you, perhaps Lilly will not," I suggested. "I trust the Doctor, but perhaps we had better leave him under the impression that you are Monsieur l'Abbé du Boise and give no intimation of the truth." "I had not hoped that my disguise would deceive you, Baron Ned," said George, "but since it has, it is just as well that we leave Lilly in the dark if we can." "But he will know. The stars will tell him," suggested Bettina, opening her eyes very wide. "The stars will tell him what he is paid to hear," I remarked. Then turning to Frances, I asked, "How is it that you were able to recognize him?" "By his eyes!" exclaimed Frances and Bettina in concert. "That gives me a valuable hint," said George, hastily adjusting his colored spectacles. "Now, how about it?" "I still should know you," answered Frances. "Not I!" exclaimed Bettina. Presently Lilly came in, and I presented him to Monsieur l'Abbé du Boise and explained the presence of Frances and Bettina by saying:-- "A friend of ours in France has asked Mistress Jennings to render what aid she can to Monsieur l'Abbé, and she is here at my request to receive his commands." "It is good!" exclaimed Lilly. "She has the king's ear if any one has, and the ear is very close to the mind. What may I do to serve Monsieur l'Abbé?" "If I may see you privately---the baron and me--I shall tell you how you may serve me," answered the Abbé. The Abbé and I excused ourselves to Frances and Bettina, and went with the Doctor to the room which he called his observatory, where we came to the point very quickly:-- "I want to buy Dunkirk for my master for the sum of one hundred thousand pounds," said the Abbé, by way of starting the consultation. "But London has already offered that sum," returned Lilly, "and stands ready to pay more." "In payments," suggested the Abbé.