"Leave that to me, mamma," replied Josephine, turning her lovely eyes
full on Edouard, with a look the baroness misunderstood directly.

She sat and watched Josephine and Edouard with comical severity all the
rest of the time she was there; and, when she retired, she kissed Rose
affectionately, but whispered her eldest daughter, "I hope you are not
serious. A mere boy compared with you."

"But such a sweet one," suggested Josephine, apologetically.

"What will the world come to?" said the baroness out loud, and retreated
with a sour glance at all of them--except Rose.

She had not been gone five minutes when a letter came by messenger to
Edouard. It was from Picard. He read it out.


"Perrin has been with me, to raise money. He wants it in forty-eight
hours. Promises good legal security. I have agreed to try and arrange
the matter for him."


They were all astonished at this.

"The double-faced traitor!" cried Edouard. "Stay; wait a minute. Let us
read it to an end."


"This promise is, of course, merely to prevent his going elsewhere. At
the end of the forty-eight hours I shall begin to make difficulties.