They had been sitting in the balcony which runs round the billiard-room on the side of the court opposite to the front door.

He returned to the house, and caught Marie in one of the passages up-stairs, as she was completing her work for the day.

He caught her close to the door of his own room and asked her to come in, that he might speak a word to her.

English readers will perhaps remember that among the Vosges mountains there is less of a sense of privacy attached to bedrooms than is the case with us here in England.

Marie knew immediately then that her cousin had not come to Granpere for nothing,--had not come with the innocent intention of simply pleasing his father,--had not come to say an ordinary word of farewell to her before her marriage.