In spite of her serious thoughts, she looked very young, almost irresponsible. No ordinary observer could guess the mind that lay behind the eloquent, glowing eyes. Even the tongue at first deceived, till it began to probe, to challenge, to drop sharp, incisive truths in little gold-leaped pellets, which brought conviction when the gold-leaf wore off. The sunlight made her part of the brilliant landscape, and she floated into it, neither too dainty nor too luxurious. The greatest heat of the day was past, and she was walking slowly under the maples, on the way to Elise’s home, when she was arrested by a voice near her. Then a tall figure leaped the fence, and came to her with outstretched hand and an unmistakable smile of pleasure. “I’ve called at the Manor twice, and found you out; so I took to the highway,” said the voice gaily. “My dear Seigneur,” she answered, with mock gravity, “ancestors’ habits show in time.” “Come, that’s severe, isn’t it?” “You have waylaid me in a lonely place, master highwayman!” she said, with a torturing sweetness. He had never seen her so radiantly debonnaire; yet her heart was full of annoying anxiety. “There’s so much I want to say to you,” he answered more seriously. “So very much?” “Very much indeed.” She looked up the road. “I can give you ten minutes,” she said. “Suppose we walk up and down under these trees. It is shady and quiet here. Now proceed, monsieur. Is it my money or my life?” “You are in a charming mood to-day.” “Which is more than I could say for you the last time we met. You threatened, stormed, were childish, impossible to a degree.” His face became grave. “We were such good friends once!” “Once--once?” she asked maliciously. “Once Cain and Abel were a happy family. When was that once?” “Two years ago. What talks we had then! I had so looked forward to your coming again. It was the alluring thing in my life, your arrival,” he went on; “but something came between.” His tone nettled her. He talked as if he had some distant claim on her. “Something came between?” she repeated slowly, mockingly. “That sounds melodramatic indeed. What was it came between--a coach-and-four, or a grand army?” “Nothing so stately,” he answered, piqued by her tone: “a filibuster and his ragamuffins.” “Ragamufins would be appreciated by Monsieur Valmond’s followers, spoken at the four corners,” she answered. “Then I’ll change it,” he said: “a ragamuffin and his filibusters.” “The ‘ragamuffin’ always speaks of his enemies with courtesy, and the filibusters love their leader,” was her pointed rejoinder. “At half a dollar a day,” he answered sharply. “They get that much from His Excellency, do they?” she asked in real surprise. “That doesn’t look like filibustering, does it?” “‘His Excellency!’” he retorted. “Why won’t you look this matter straight in the face? Napoleon or no Napoleon, the end of this thing is ruin.” “Take care that you don’t get lost in the debris,” she said bitingly.