Year: 1869

hunger. The crisis was past.


She was saved.


Bcauvallon laid fresh sticks upon the
fire, and went out. His errand, however,
took him only so far as the porter's lodge.
Here he gave Pierrie Piton money and
directions to do something very early
on the following morning.


Pierrie groaned, but at the same time
wiped troublesome piece of moisture
from the corner of his eye, and as his mas
ter left the lodge muttered:


" Mthte Cdnons: what man and to
say, after that, that those canaille of Sans
Culottes denied bon Dieu."


Returning to his apartments he drew a
great chair to the fire, opposite the sofa
where the young girl slept, and sat dream
lily watching. now the sick girl and now
the fire, till the gray light of morning
began to steal in at the windows. The
girl still slept, but with the break of day
began to move, now and then, uneasily
in her sleep.


Beauvallon closed the blinds, drew the
window curtains, and left the room noise
lessly. A couple of hours after he re-
'''' val iliS Il buuulS VI CoHSlueTaDlC
size. The windows unclosed, and the
full light of morning let into the room,
he saw his patient watching him with
great melancholy eyes the color of the
ring she wore upon her finger.


Approaching her in quiet matter of
fact way he said =


Z" Does Mademoiselle feel strong enough
to make her own toilet?"


l." How came here p said the girl, as
if half enquiring of herself, half of him.


" | brought you"


" You found me in the street-dying 2"
she said in a low but firm tone


"Yesw


During this conversation Beauvallon
had undone the bundle, and spread upon
chair all the articles of clothing, even
to pair of delicate little pink slippers,
of lady's morning toilette.


4" Come close to me- said the girl.


As he obcycd she disengaged one hand
from the blanket in which she was swathed
and took his in it. After looking steadily
in his eyes for more than a minute, she
raised his hand quickly to her lips and
kissed it before he could preventive ac-
ton. Then she gave long sigh Of re-
lief like one who rolls a great weight from
them, and said:


6 am strong enough"


"When Mademoiselle is ready to re-
ceive me she will touch the bell, said
Beauvalon simply as he left the room.


Twenty minutes after the bell sounded,
and on his return the young girl was
dressed in plain but rich morning dress,
her heavy masses of golden blonde hair
arranged in smooth and lustrous bands at
the temples, and turned up behind in the
heavy Grecian knot which was then the
mode. The effort to dress had, however,
exhausted her, for she was lying on the
sofa pale and with half closed eyes Yet
as he entered the room, she smiled family
and uttered the single word:


" Thanks"


A very simple word, but there was in
the manner of its utterance the express
sion of unbounded gratitude and conf
dence.


Perrie followed almost Immediately with
breakfast service on a large salver, and
hustled about. Beauvallon arranged a
console table near her sofa, and with the
peremptoriness of physician compelled
her to eat and drink.


Breakfast over, he said, Mademos-
elle."


Call me Marguerite" said she.


Mademoiselle Marguerite, I shall be
absent on business till evening. Pierre,
on whom you may rely implicitly, will
wait on you. That door opens into your
chamber. Hush Conversation is forbid
den you for many hours yet. When am
gone retire to your chamber and sleep.
Sleep is the sovereign cure. By night you
will have recovered SO much strength as
to astonish yourself Obey me for the
present. When you are well you may
go where you please"


Sir" said Marguerite, with an ex-
preston of profound hopelessness-"I I am
homeless"


Then" said Beauvallon, gaily-''this
is your homes and you will please obey
as child does in its home. You will
dismiss thought and memory, till tonight,
and do nothing but cat and sleep. Au
revoir. Mademoisellc Marguerite"


And he went out without giving her a
chance to reply.


Marguerite covered her face with her
hands, and for many minutes the tear
drops, not scalding, but gracious minis
ters of relief to brain only few honrs
before the prey of dull despair and utter
weariness of life, trickled through her
fingers. Then she rose, and with a smile
which lit up her wan face with an almost
unearthly beauty, said" Noble and
true! Noble and true !" and went into the
chamber he had pointed out to her.


Beauvallon returned at evening, and as
he had predicted, day of entire rest had
well nigh restored the young girl. Moth
ing but her extreme pallor and lassitude,
which was itself AN additional grace, re-
mained to show how near she had gone to
the portals of the tomb. This pair, so
strangely thrown together, supped with
each other as brother and sister might do.