'I warrant you I sent him away ill-satisfied.' 'Of course,' I said; 'there will always be people of that kind.

But now, if you will permit me, madame, I will make such arrangements for mademoiselle as are necessary.' Begging her accordingly to lie down and compose herself--for even so short a conversation, following on the excitement of our arrival, had exhausted her to a painful degree--I took the youth, who had just returned from stabling our horses, a little aside, and learning that he lodged in a smaller chamber on the farther side of the landing, secured it for the use of mademoiselle and her woman.

In spite of a certain excitability which marked him at times, he seemed to be a quick, ready fellow, and he willingly undertook to go out, late as it was, and procure some provisions and a few other things which were sadly needed, as well for my mother's comfort as for our own.

I directed Fanchette to aid him in the preparation of the other chamber, and thus for a while I was left alone with mademoiselle.

She had taken one of the stools, and sat cowering over the fire, the hood of her cloak drawn about her head; in such a manner that even when she looked at me, which she did from time to time, I saw little more than her eyes, bright with contemptuous anger.
'So, sir,' she presently began, speaking in a low voice, and turning slightly towards me, 'you practise lying even here ?' I felt so strongly the futility of denial or explanation that I shrugged my shoulders and remained silent under the sneer.