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"Do you think," she said, after a pause, "that in taking care of me Monsieur Cheverny is running a greater risk than any of you?" "No, Mademoiselle. His chance seems to me rather the better. At best, he can demand to be sent to the palace, while for us, we must run the gantlet of the Russians; sixteen men must take their chances of getting horses, and we must travel in company.
When we had traveled a couple of stages Madame Riano invited Count Saxe to ride in her chaise, an honor which he dared not decline. Next day it was my turn. I loathe riding in a stuffy chaise, full of packages and waiting maids, but, like my master, needs must when Madame Riano drives. The first question she asked of me amazed me. "What think you," said she, "of my nephew Gaston Cheverny?"
The girl was a village girl; little more than a peasant." I own I was full of disgust when Gaston Cheverny spoke thus. How different was this from the high-souled, chivalric Gaston Cheverny whom I had known, and who treated all women with the consideration of a Bayard!
It was from Mademoiselle Capello, and invited us, both in her own name and Madame Riano's, to become her guests at supper that evening. Without one word of apology, Gaston Cheverny dashed away from the dinner table, wrote a letter of acceptance, and came back looking exactly as a man does when he has won the first prize in the lottery, or has just received a field marshal's baton.
A wounded man on foot can not get out of a certain zone, and that zone was searched as one searches for a gold piece dropped on the floor. But we found not Gaston Cheverny. At the end of two weeks we were fairly puzzled, but by no means in despair.
From the first hour I had met Gaston Cheverny in the old prison of the Temple I had ever found him hot-headed to a fault. He was one of those men to whom an impertinence is the greatest of injuries. This remark of Jacques Haret, made in a taunting manner, was enough in the old days to have got a blow for him from the fist of Gaston Cheverny. No such thing now, however.
I even remember that I hated one of you I can not now recall which one except that he or you annoyed me, when I was a child in Brabant, at my château of Capello" oh, the grand air with which she brought out "my château of Capello!" "and and if I act it is none of your business." "It will be Madame Riano's business, though," darkly hinted Gaston Cheverny.
And Francezka enjoyed it; that was plain in her kindling eye, and the color that flooded her late pale cheeks and lips. Through it all, Gaston Cheverny smiled but little, and his face, which was the most expressive I ever saw, not excepting Monsieur Voltaire's, showed pity for this young girl. I felt sure he recognized her.
She kept her finger at the page, and spoke in a calm voice, although she grew a little pale. "Whenever and wherever you will have me go, I am ready." As Gaston Cheverny said, she was the most docile creature alive when real danger was at hand. She knew how to obey like a soldier, and as she came of good soldierly stock, this was not strange.
Mademoiselle Capello, without heeding him, and moving like a sleep-walker, went still farther toward the edge of the stage where Gaston Cheverny stood and then covering her face with her mantle she burst into a passion of tears and sobbing. There was a movement of compassion for her; old Peter on the edge of the crowd was begging,
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