“Oh, Monsieur Riviere,” said Rose, acting nonchalance. “Why could you not say so? you use such phrases, who can conjecture what you mean? I will come to Monsieur Riviere directly; mamma will be so glad.” Jacintha gone, Rose tore up the letter and locked up the pieces, then ran to the glass. Etc. Edouard had been so profoundly miserable he could stand it no longer; in spite of his determination not to visit Beaurepaire while it contained a rival, he rode over to see whether he had not tormented himself idly: above all, to see the beloved face. Jacintha put him into the salle a manger. “By that you will see her alone,” said the knowing Jacintha. He sat down, hat and whip in hand, and wondered how he should be received--if at all. In glides Rose all sprightliness and good-humor, and puts out her hand to him; the which he kisses. “How could I keep away so long?” asked he vaguely, and self-astonished. “How indeed, and we missing you so all the time!” “Have YOU missed me?” was the eager inquiry. “Oh, no!” was the cheerful reply; “but all the rest have.” Presently the malicious thing gave a sudden start. “Oh! such a piece of news; you remember Colonel Dujardin, the obnoxious colonel?” No answer. “Transferred his attentions. Fancy!” “Who to?” “To Josephine and mamma. But such are the military. He only wanted to get rid of you: this done (through your want of spirit), he scorns the rich prize; so now I scorn HIM. Will you come for a walk?” “Oh, yes!” “We will go and look for my deserter. I say, tell me now; cannot I write to the commander-in-chief about this? a soldier has no right to be a deserter, has he? tell me, you are a public man, and know everything except my heart.” “Is it not too bad to tease me to-day?” “Yes! but please! I have had few amusements of late. I find it so dull without you to tease.” Formal permission to tease being conceded, she went that instant on the opposite tack, and began to tell him how she had missed him, and how sorry she had been anything should have occurred to vex their kind good friend. In short, Edouard spent a delightful day, for Rose took him one way to meet Josephine, who, she knew, was coming another. At night the last embers of jealousy got quenched, for Josephine was a wife now, and had already begun to tell Camille all her little innocent secrets; and she told him all about Edouard and Rose, and gave him his orders; so he treated Rose with great respect before Edouard; but paid her no marked attention; also he was affable to Riviere, who, having ceased to suspect, began to like him. In the course of the evening, the colonel also informed the baroness that he expected every day an order to join the army of the Rhine. Edouard pricked his ears. The baroness said no more than politeness dictated. She did not press him to stay, but treated his departure as a matter of course. Riviere rode home late in the evening in high spirits.