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Catrina turned and bowed to De Chauxville. "I should have remembered you," he said, "if we had met accidentally. After all, childhood is but a miniature is it not so?" "Perhaps," answered Catrina; "and when the miniature develops it loses the delicacy which was its chief charm." She turned again to Steinmetz, as if desirous of continuing her conversation with him.
I think the good God will judge between them and forgive that poor woman. She must have repented of her action when she heard the clatter of the rioters all round the castle. I am sure she did that. I am sure she came down here to shut the door, and found Claude de Chauxville here.
He closed the door, and arranged a branch of larch across the window so that they could stand near it without being seen. They had not been there long before De Chauxville appeared. He moved quickly across the clearing, skimming over the snow with long, sweeping strides. Two keepers followed him, and after having shown him the rough hiding-place prepared for him, silently withdrew to their places.
"I think you must have known it," he corrected suavely. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" It was very correctly done, Claude de Chauxville had regained control over himself. He was able to think about the riches which were evidently hers. But through the thought he loved the woman. The lady lowered the feather screen which she was holding between her face and the fire.
Of course, M. de Chauxville knew that Lady Mealhead had once been the darling of the music-halls, and that a thousand hearts had vociferously gone out to her from sixpenny and even threepenny galleries when she answered to the name of Tiny Smalltoes.
A woman who is pretending to sleep usually does so in becoming attitudes. De Chauxville did not speak again for some minutes. He sat back in his chair, leaning his forehead on his hand, while he peeped through his slim fingers. He could almost read the girl's thoughts as she put them into music. "She does not hate him yet," he was reflecting.
"You know," she said, "that this man has me in his power." "You alone. But not both of us together," answered Steinmetz. De Chauxville looked uneasy. He gave a careless little laugh. "My good Steinmetz, you allow your imagination to run away with you. You interfere in what does not concern you." "My very dear De Chauxville, I think not. At all events, I am going to continue to interfere."
His features were always composed and dignified; his hair, thin and straight, was never out of order, but ever smooth and sleek upon his high, narrow brow. His eyes had that dulness which is characteristic of many Frenchmen, and may perhaps be attributed to the habitual enjoyment of too rich a cuisine and too many cigarettes. De Chauxville waved aside the small contretemps with easy nonchalance.
He looked at De Chauxville, standing white-faced at his post, not fifty yards from the carcass of the second bear. Paul seemed to see no one but De Chauxville. He went straight toward him, and the whole party followed in breathless suspense. Steinmetz was nearest to him, watching with his keen, quiet eyes. Paul went up to De Chauxville and took the rifle from his hands.
De Chauxville rose, stretched himself and yawned. Men are not always, be it understood, on their best behavior at their club. "Good-night," he said shortly. "Good-night, my very dear friend." After the Frenchman had left, Karl Steinmetz remained quite motionless and expressionless in his chair, until such time as he concluded that De Chauxville was tired of watching him through the glass door.
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