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It was a Friday evening, and the choir were come to practise. They saw buxom village girls stroll in, followed by the organist, one or two young men and a handful of boys. Presently the horsemen were seen, and a staring group gathered at the church door. An idea came to Belward. "Kings used to make pilgrimages before they took their crowns, why shouldn't I?" he said half-jestingly.

Near the church they met Sir William and Lady Belward. There were salutations, and presently Gaston slowly followed his grandfather and grandmother into the courtyard. Sir William, looking back, said to his wife: "Do you think that Gaston should be told?" "No, no, there is no danger. Gaston, my dear, shall marry Delia Gasgoyne." "Shall marry? wherefore 'shall'? Really, I do not see."

Gaston waved his hand to the tomb, and said half-believingly: "Gaston Robert Belward, come again to your kingdom." He turned to go out, and faced the rector of the parish, a bent, benign- looking man, who gazed at him astonished. He had heard the strange speech. His grave eyes rested on the stalwart stranger with courteous inquiry. Gaston knew who it was. Over his left brow there was a scar.

I was glad to take her to Quebec, for I guessed she would get ideas, and it didn't strike me that she would be out of place. So we went. But she was out of place in many ways. It did not suit at all. We were asked to good houses, for I believe I have always had enough of the Belward in me to keep my end up anywhere.

"I wonder if there is anything in it?" he said aloud: "if he does influence me? if we've got anything to do with each other? What he did I seem to know somehow, more or less. A little dwarf up in my brain drops the nuts down now and then. Well, Sir Gaston Belward, what is going to be the end of all this? If we can reach across the centuries, why, good-night and goodbye to you. Good-bye."

He took Delia Gasgoyne to her mother, talked to Lady Belward a little, and then went quietly back to where he had seen Alice. She was gone. Just then some people from town came to speak to him, and he was detained. When he was free he searched, but she was nowhere to be found. He went to Lady Belward. Yes, Miss Wingfield had gone.

Ah, yes, an unhappy case!" "There is more?" asked Lady Belward, leaning on her cane. She seemed very frail. Then with a terrible brevity Gaston told them of his uncle, of the letter to Andree: all, except that Andree was his wife. He had no idea of sparing Ian Belward now. A groan escaped Lady Belward. "And now now, what will you do?" asked the baronet. "I do not know.

He saw that Lady Belward had a sickly fear in her face, while Sir William had gone stern and hard. He went on: "It saved the situation, did that marriage; though it was no marriage you will say. Neither was it one way, and I didn't intend at the start to stand by it an hour longer than I wished.

There were scores of tents, horses, and many Indians and half-breeds, and a few white men. My father was in command. I can see my mother's face as she stood over the fire. It was not darker than mine; she always seemed more French than Indian, and she was thought comely." Lady Belward shuddered a little, but Gaston did not notice. "I can remember the great buffalo-hunt.

He would invent an excuse, and make his way behind. Gaston and the manager were in the latter's rooms waiting for Victorine. Presently a messenger came, saying that Monsieur Belward would find Mademoiselle in her dressing-room.