raised from the depths of despair to the highest pinnacle of hope on
hearing this, for he felt sure Léon had gone ashore at Yarmouth to place
the baby with some Englishwoman, and had remained there some days on
purpose. Confiding his new hope to Père Yvon, he at once decided to
start that night for England by Dover and Calais, for already steamers
ran once or twice a week between these ports. He would then go on to
Yarmouth by stage-coach, and make all inquiries for his baby. His
difficulty was, he did not know the language, but living near the
Château de Thorens was a Monsieur de Courcy, who had married an English
wife, and spoke English very well. He was intimate with the De Thorens,
and the baron hoped he might be able to help him in his trouble.

Accordingly he called on the De Courcys at once, and, to his great
relief, Monsieur de Courcy offered to go to Yarmouth with him, while
Madame de Courcy suggested that the baroness should come and stay with
her during their husbands' absence, for the château was a very gloomy
place for the poor young mother while the shadow of death rested upon
it. Arnaud jumped at this, for he had never been separated from his wife
since their marriage, and he would far rather leave her with this pretty
young English lady than at the château, while his mother's grief for
Léon saddened the whole household. It was easy to account for his
journey to England, by saying that he was going to get particulars of
the accident from the place off which it happened. This would seem only
natural to Mathilde, who must on no account be told that he had any hope
of finding the child. She had accepted the news of its death without
questioning it, and it was far better to let her continue under this
impression than to raise fresh hopes, which, after all, might never be
realised, and if he could only persuade her to come to Parc du Baffy
while he was away he would feel quite happy about her.