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Everywhere on the road people were talking of Gaston Cheverny's wonderful return. The number of persons who knew that he must eventually come back was very large I believe I did not see one single person who was not convinced all along that Gaston would be found. And the country rang with praises of Madame Cheverny's constancy and devotion.

So much for Gaston Cheverny's flinging his away. He showed a steady and cheerful fortitude under his losses. Besides the actual loss to him, whose fortune was already small, he was deeply attached to his home and his belongings. He told me with a rueful smile that only the fine gateway of the Manoir Cheverny had been spared.

Gaston Cheverny's house, a simple manor house, was in sight of the château of Capello, as Gaston had told us many times, while Castle Haret, which Regnard had so cleverly acquired, was some distance away. We spent four days in Königsberg before the remainder of our poor fellows caught up with us.

"This," he said, "is the line of the brook; you see it skirts the estate of Castle Haret, once mine, then the property of Monsieur Gaston Cheverny's brother, Monsieur Regnard Cheverny, who sold it for a large sum of money. By the way, Gaston, has it ever occurred to you that your brother may be dead, and that his properties may be yours?"

It is in vain that I have reminded him of that old Spanish malediction on an enemy: 'May you marry an only child; may you have a law suit, win it, and have to pay the lawyers!" A flush came into Gaston Cheverny's pale face, and he looked displeased, as well he might, at hearing Mademoiselle Capello's name in Jacques Haret's mouth.

For, Babache, I believe now, do not laugh at me, Babache, and say it is my Scotch blood that makes me superstitious but but " she paused a moment, and then said in a whisper, "I believe Regnard Cheverny's soul has got into Gaston Cheverny's body."

As Prince Eugene had surmised, the boat had drifted a long distance down the river in the darkness, with the wind and tide both urging it on. At daylight an attempt was made to land on the Austrian side where there was an outpost, and before the character of the expedition was found out, several shots were fired on the boat and a bullet made a slight wound in Gaston Cheverny's head.

Both of them included both Madame Villars and her mother-in-law, Madame la Maréchale Villars, and Monsieur Voltaire made the handsomest possible allusion to Madame Gaston Cheverny's wit and charm, which Gaston suitably acknowledged. Jacques Haret declared that it had been so long since he had talked with a woman of quality he had almost forgotten there were such creatures in the world.

But you can not expect Gaston Cheverny's wife to be the first to give up hoping for him." "By no means. But Madame Cheverny you are a widow and you should conduct yourself as such. You should put on mourning, and place the affairs of your husband before the courts, that they may be settled. In short pardon the form in which I put it but you are a widow and should conduct yourself as such."

A gleam of spirit of Madame Riano's spirit flashed into Mademoiselle Capello's face at this assumption on Gaston Cheverny's part. "Monsieur Cheverny," she said, "I remember you perfectly well also, your brother, Monsieur Regnard Cheverny. I am older than you think, perhaps.