She was carried to the garden.

“Leave me now,” she said, “I am all right now; it was the heat.  I only want a little air ...  Let M. Henri stay with me.”

They were left alone.

“You love her?” said Madame Bourjot, clutching Henri’s arm.  “I know all....  Have you nothing to say?”

“Nothing.  I have struggled for a year.  I will not excuse myself.  I owe you the truth.  I love your daughter, it is true.”

Finally, Madame Bourjot rose and walked towards the house.  Henri followed.

“I count upon never seeing you again, sir,” she said, without looking round.  With a mighty effort she regained her composure, and walked back to the house on Henri’s arm.

III.—­Stint to Death by his Sister

It was Madame Bourjot herself who insisted upon seeing Henri again, and, since he did not answer her letter, she went to his apartments.  The interview was painful, but she gave her consent to Henri’s marriage with Noemi, and undertook to overcome M. Bourjot’s possible objections, on condition that Henri should humour her husband’s vanity by adopting a title—­an easy matter enough.  The Mauperins had a farm called Villacourt.  Mauperin de Villacourt would do very well.  Henri promised to see what he could do.

Madame Bourjot and her daughter called on the Mauperins next day.  The two girls were asked to leave their mothers to their talk, and to take a walk in the garden.

“A secret!” said Renee, as soon as they were alone.  “Can you guess it?  I can—­my brother. ...  But you are crying.  What is it, my darling Noemi?”

“Oh, you don’t know!” her friend sobbed.  “I cannot—­if you only knew——­Save me!  If I could only die!”

“Die!  But why?”

“Because your brother is——­” She stopped in horror at what she was about to say, then whispered the rest of her sentence into her ear, and hid her face on her friend’s bosom.

“You lie!” Renee pushed her back.

“I?” Renee did not reply, but looked sadly and gently into Noemi’s eyes.

Renee doubted no longer.  She was silent for a moment; she felt almost the duties of a mother towards this child.

In the evening Henri was surprised to find his sister waiting in his room.  She approached the subject of his impending marriage, and implored him, by his love for her, not to give up his name, and to break off the match.

“Are you mad?  Enough of this!”

Renee fixed her eyes upon her brother.

“Noemi has told me—­everything!”

Her cheeks flushed, Henri turned deathly pale.

“My dear,” he said, with a shaky voice, “you interfere in things which do not concern you.  A young girl—­” Then seizing her hand, he pointed towards the door, and said, “Go!”