The Maids of Paradise

uld answer my question the sooner-unl

etim

you do at the Cha

ry-sometimes,

other

r things,

t th

, I read a little, as

you?" I

any," she said, shaking her head with a

e; "under the circumstances I am going to ask you to accept my escort to La T

on her face became less genuine. "Ind

'll have to i

l rod across her shoulders,

ntreaties? Truly, your fashion of wooing is not slow, but everybody knows that hussars are headlong gentleme

not the most disagreeable incident 24 that I expect to meet with to-

alk with you,

afrai

f I re

e obliged to set you on my horse."

rse?" she repeated, w

come on fo

she said, with a c

tch-it lacked fiv

cheerfully, and stood waiting, twisting the gil

seriously, "Monsieur, would y

laughing. I held the opened watch in my hand

said, closing the hun

me steadily

me with me t

id no

then in an instant I caught her up and swung her high into my

blank blue. As for me, amazed at what I had done, I stood at h

aceful. In her face I read an immense astonishment; fascination seemed to rivet her eyes on me, following my ever

orse forward through the open

across the fields; and, after a few minutes a violent desire to laugh seized me an

rmness and determination that proved her to be a stranger to ho

ps sobered me, for presently all desire of laughter left me, and I turned into the road which led t

Trappe?" I ask

reproaches, I should have cared little-in

such composure, that my heart smote me for wh

walk?" I asked,

ou," she sai

stume appeared to astonish the few people we passed. One 26 of these foot-farers, a priest who was travelling in our direction, raised his pal

luted the priest w

," she said, gayly. "Be

led faces, never had I set eyes on such a deathly one, nor on such pale eyes, all

n by a prisoner,

soner," he sa

owers of Notre Dame shake," I said, pleasantly. "I me

idly. "Once a little inhabitant of hell stole the key to p

ridiculing me, but unable to comprehend just how. And my irritatio

r head with

r the escort of an of

ut she continued, "of the

ce were moving in this affair at La Trappe, and now this little f

hild?" demanded the priest, turning on me so sud

, sharply. "Go your way in peace, and leave t

said the girl, quietl

a man with such eyes in his head, for a man who moved so swiftly and softly, and, in sp

side, father. Do you think the Holy Inquisition is ba

ther touching the visor of my scarlet forage-cap. Once I l

and a notary among them. None appeared to know my turkey-girl, nor did she even glance at them; moreover, all

I meet carry bundles?"

ier to take risks," he replied, blinking through

ning away from their village

. "War is a rude g

on without noticing the man's sneer. In a moment, however, he repasse

hat is your business in that d

forgotten something, and started on ahead of us, bu

," I observed, and, as he beg

ome, my friend the weather-cock, turn your nose east and follo

a mind to go back and examine his portfolio to see wha

, she was sitting more easily in t

ke no chances of not finding

iends, m

nds at L

ry we passed might have desired to p

pe may not be unknown to each other. Perhaps even mademoiselle the

ps," s

f catching Buckhurst, and they seemed slim, especially as after my visit the house at La Trappe would be vacant a

e must go; but I for one found the order a foolish one, because it removed a

mately contemplate against the French government could easily be directed from that paradise of

t affairs had t

key-girl fluttered above her wooden shoes, and on her head

id of Alsace half the angels cried themselves

ther half,

rolled with difficulty, mademoiselle. That is why St. Peter wa

t is a curious thing, but you speak

. I 30 am slowly rising in the world. Last y

nfully, "that you had bee

rce in the Imperia

rofession that

police would be the most gratified to belie

is another reme

that remedy be

tance," said the girl, earnestly,

man nature," I

n of human nature ou

or mankind to submit

herwise," she

ol, green thickets of broom and gorse, I looked up at her and said: "In sp

st your violence,"

stern and colorless creed, you are very human. I am so

at liberty of thought and speech and deed which I, for one, have assumed, then I am, perhaps, a fanatic. If it be fanaticism to detest vio

ng sometimes in her eyes, sometimes on her lips, so t

. To meet her eyes when I was speaking interrupted my train of thought, and often I was constrained to look out across the hills at th

re, the past, and the present. Given these, the solution of future

ad bent, her butterfly coiffe a-flutter, discussing ethics with an irresponsible fly-by-ni

ndquarters, wrinkled their whiskered noses at us; from every thicket speckled hedge-birds peered at us as we went ou

ill, "There is La Trappe, monsieur," said my turke

sunnier and more peaceful spot would be hard to find in that land of 32 hills, ravine

re an avenue stretched away under trees to a granite terrace, glittering in the sun. And under the terr

me or to warn me back; the wet road lay s

er?" I aske

silent avenue of trees towards the terrace and t

e water caught the blaze of color, reflecting the splendor in subdued tints of smothered flame. An

ount," said I, an

r to the ground, where her sabots clicked and

e silent blue peaks on the horizon seemed to be watching me; the trees around

here might have been a bird-note, a breeze to whisper

I asked, turning brusqu

art will give you you

her we mounted the broad flight of steps to the espla