“Monsieur,” he suddenly said, his face glowing, his hands opening nervously, “we have eat, we have drunk, we have had the dance and the great music here: is it enough? Sometimes as you sleep you call out, and you toss to the strokes of the tower-clock. When we lie on the Plains of Yath from sunset to sunrise, you never stir then. You remember when we sleep on the ledge of the Voshti mountain--so narrow that we were tied together? Well, we were as babes in blankets. In the Prairie of the Ten Stars your fingers were on the trigger firm as a bolt; here I have watch them shake with the coffee-cup. Monsieur, you have seen: is it enough? You have lived here: is it like the old lodge and the long trail?” Gaston sat up in bed, looked in the mirror opposite, ran his fingers through his hair, regarded his hands, turning them over, and then, with sharp impatience, said: “Go to hell!” The little man’s face flushed to his hair; he sucked in the air with a gasp. Without a word, he went to the dressing-table, poured out the shaving-water, threw a towel over his arm, and turned to come to the bed; but, all at once, he sidled back, put down the water, and furtively drew a sleeve across his eyes. Gaston saw, and something suddenly burned in him. He dropped his eyes, slid out of bed, into his dressing-gown, and sat down. Jacques made ready. He was not prepared to have Gaston catch him by the shoulders with a nervous grip, search his eyes, and say: “You damned little fool, I’m not worth it!” Jacques’s face shone. “Every great man has his fool--alors!” was the happy reply. “Jacques,” Gaston presently said, “what’s on your mind?” “I saw--last night, monsieur,” he said. “You saw what?” “I saw you in the court-yard with the lady.” Gaston was now very grave. “Did you recognise her?” “No: she moved all as a spirit.” “Jacques, that matter is between you and me. I’m going to tell you, though, two things; and--where’s your string of beads?” Jacques drew out his rosary. “That’s all right. Mum as Manitou! She was asleep; she is my sister. And that is all, till there’s need for you to know more.”