The Westcotes

is simple solution which had eluded her through many wakeful nights did not surprise h

t had lasted for an instant only, and the old habit of reverence quickly effaced it. But he had exposed her weakness; had forced her to see it, naked and pitiful, with no c

ognised the great alteration and allowed for it. He had driven her too far. She would never again

with her, quietly, as a matter of business entrusted to him, explained what steps he had taken, what letters he had written; when he exp

were strange indeed if Mr. Westcote could not obtain so trivial a favour as the exchange of a prisoner. He could do this, but he could not appreciably hurry the correspondence by which Pall Mall bargained a Frenchman in the forest of Dartmoor against an Englishman in the fortress of Brian?on in the Hautes Alpes. Foreseeing delays, he had written privately to the Comma

must pass through the Commissary's hands. In the last week of October, when brother and sister daily expected the cartel

as just left me, speaks hopefully. I have no doubt, however, that a winter in this climate would be fata

ow through which she had been gazing that spring morning when Raoul first kissed her. To-da

I must go to

what p

u may t

my mind." He spoke gently. "B

ld reach us to-morrow. You shall take it with me. I must s

letter or two before strolling down to the post office. Dorothea cantered on to the top of the hill, and then walked Mercury to and fro, w

ercury to the right-about and cantered back to await it. Already the street had begun to fill as usual; and, as usual, there was

letter nev

her stirrup. She asked af

er he leaves his bed aga

Age, age again!-it ma

d it hold a letter for

lf it was a good omen. During the long wait outside the post office she rebuked herself more than once for building a hope upon it. Name after name was called, and at each call a priso

ood news in his face. He made his way briskly towa

home and have the valises packed, while I

There was little need to hurry, for he

brother's, she ran to Narcissus' ro

year and composed a report in language worthy of a survey of the Roman Empire. Be

ered a chaise from 'The Dogs,' and

bed his head, and added with a twink

f exchange for M. Raoul,

here. But, really, this is delightful of you-delightful of you both. Only,

l," said Dorot

poor fellow. Still, th

beats the gong? And you won't sit up late and set fire to the

s half-way down the corridor

Dorothea! t

" she murmured, as he thru

e drawings? But, G

s grey hairs and stared do

But if he lacked her zeal, he had the true Englishman's hatred of turning back. She, who had known him always for a master of men, learned a new awe of her splendid brother. He took command; he cross-examined landlord and postboys, pooh-poohed their objections, extracted from them in half-a-dozen curt questions more information than, five minutes befo

from this tableland, high over all the world, uninhabited, without tree or gate or hedge. Her eyes were heavy with lack of sleep, smarting with the bite of the north wind, which neither ceased nor eased until, towards ten o'clock, the carriage began to lumber downhill towards Two Bridges, under the lee of Crockern Tor. Beyond came a heavy piece of collar work, the horses dropping t

undred yards beneath the lee of North Hessary. But a little before noon, Dorothea- still with a sense of being lifted on a platform miles above the world she knew-alighted before a tremendous arc

a's feet were half-frozen in spite of her wraps-she stamped them in the snow while she studied the gateway an

through, and after pausing a moment while the porter shot the lock again

r set apart for the petty officers; and between the inner and outer walls ran a via militaris, close on a mile in circumference, constantly paraded by the guard, and having raised platforms from which the sentinels could overlook the inner wall a

nd the kindliest possible face; a trifle self-important, obviously proud of his prison, and, after a f

what a journey! You must be famished, positively; you will be wanting luncheon at once-yes, really you must allow me. No? A glass of sherry, then, and a bi

e order about which w

as a pile of snow slides from a bough in the sunshine. "He is better, I am glad to report-out of bed and fairly convalescent indeed. But I hope my message did not

ed Endymion, "take a parti

fficer was not so

r hours of ease, Uncertain, coy, and hard to please'-not, of course, that I at

we se

ched by a steel chain to his belt, and blew into the wards thoughtfully while he studied the paper handed to him by Endymion. "Quite in order, of course. No doubt, you and Miss Westcote wo

open to the air, but faced with iron bars, and behind these bars flitted the forms of the prisoners at exercise, stamping the flagged pavement to keep their starved blood in circulation. At a sight of the

ea's thought, "a large family to be respon

at least,"

en there is the hospital-usually pretty full at this season, I regret to say. Come, I w

d of the vista a fatigue gang of prisoners was busy with pails and brushes; but either it had not been thoroughly ventilated, or the dense numbers packed in it f

umber of grilles set in the wall at the back, at equal distances. "For air," he explained, "and also for keeping watch on messieurs. Yes, we find that necessary. Behind each is a small chamber,

declined, hurriedly

rables in this endless barrack, his every movement overlooked

ter feels her long journey, and woul

ure-a thousa

guide led the way up a flight of stone steps to the first floor, and down a whitewashed corridor, lit along one side with narrow barred casements. A little more than half-way down the corridor the bl

," he whispered, "you

escent

rty dejected figures in suits and caps of greyish-blue flannel, huddled about a stove. Some were playi

elow there, if you care

this spying and listening revolted her.

once?" He stepped past them into the co

d at a door almost opposit

of each of my children. I never make a mistake," he confided in Dorothea's ear. "As quick as

luted again, a

urse, to see him

slowly, "my sister would prefe

thers will not take two minutes in fetching the prisoner; and perhaps, if you will excuse us, a visit to the hospital its

hea, permitted himself to be

nd had her hand on the surgery door to push it

to come to the surgery a

oor at the end of it stood half-open; beyond it she saw the bars of the ga

the orderly's announcement. "Raoul! Raoul!" half-a-dozen

me, ce sera votre

f laughte

little Waistcoat-à

coquin, n'y-a-t-il pas par has

e?-de quarante ans environ,

e-ce que veut dire le

sy, I tell you, ye born mill-clappers! There's a

ery door, to steady herself She heard the smack of a

ur de Pan, et aussi du tabac avec tout le Numero Six. Nous en

du bon

a taba

estowed on Raoul is unquotable here-"Elle ne fume pas,

e edge of it and rested so for a moment, for the walls seemed to be swaying and she durst not lift her hands

ard footsteps in the corridor-the firm tramp of th

two is outside, ma'am.

eplace. She heard him shuffle in, and the d

on. How well she knew that deep Proven?al tremol

rot

er. He was handsome as ever, but pale and sadly pinched. Beyond all dou

was wrong-but without comprehending. "You s

and, to her surprise

s eyes, saw the joy leap up in them, saw it quenched the next i

as happened? Tell me-no, do not

him, gave her a moment's stre

l she answered and looke

d, reassuringly, "it frightened me at first. B

ploring hand; but he saw that, with her hand on the jamb, she was listening, and he, too, listened. The voices in the Conva

met. He bow

ess, I hav

low that it seemed a second or two before she heard. For

shall try to remember you by it-to remember that you were capable of it. 'It was for my sake,'

red, and he loo

ntly-"it's the little things, is it n

aving him there at a standstill, as Endymion and the Comma

ner: "I perceive, sir, that my sister has told you the news. We have effected an exchange for you, and the Commandant tells me that to-morrow, if the roads permit, you will be sent down to Pl

n their list slippers, Mr. Westcote turned to the Command

inue our stroll, and return fo

t jumped at t

had found her this short respite. She had dropped into the orderly's chair, and now

ld you do it? How cou