It was a strange prompting.

“If it had been, I could have taken no better care of it,” I answered, and I held it towards her.

She took it simply.

“And the handkerchief?” she said.

“The handkerchief was Polly Ann’s,” I answered.

She stopped to pick a second flower that had grown by the first.

“Who is Polly Ann?” she said.

“When I was eleven years of age and ran away from Temple Bow after my father died, Polly Ann found me in the hills.  When she married Tom McChesney they took me across the mountains into Kentucky with them.  Polly Ann has been more than a mother to me.”

“Oh!” said Madame la Vicomtesse.  Then she looked at me with a stranger expression than I had yet seen in her face.  She thrust the miniature in her gown, turned, and walked in silence awhile.  Then she said:—­

“So Auguste sold it again?”

“Yes,” I said.

“He seems to have found a ready market only in you,” said the Vicomtesse, without turning her head.  “Here we are at Lamarque’s.”

What I saw was a low, weather-beaten cabin on the edge of a clearing, and behind it stretched away in prim rows the vegetables which the old Frenchman had planted.  There was a little flower garden, too, and an orchard.  A path of beaten earth led to the door, which was open.  There we paused.  Seated at a rude table was Lamarque himself, his hoary head bent over the cards he held in his hand.  Opposite him was Mr. Nicholas Temple, in the act of playing the ace of spades.  I think that it was the laughter of Madame la Vicomtesse that first disturbed them, and even then she had time to turn to me.

“I like your cousin,” she whispered.

“Is that you, St. Gre?” said Nick.  “I wish to the devil you would learn not to sneak.  You frighten me.  Where the deuce did you go to?”

But Lamarque had seen the lady, stared at her wildly for a moment, and rose, dropping his cards on the floor.  He bowed humbly, not without trepidation.

“Madame la Vicomtesse!” he said.

By this time Nick had risen, and he, too, was staring at her.  How he managed to appear so well dressed was a puzzle to me.

“Madame,” he said, bowing, “I beg your pardon.  I thought you were that—­I beg your pardon.”

“I understand your feelings, sir,” answered the Vicomtesse as she courtesied.

“Egad,” said Nick, and looked at her again.  “Egad, I’ll be hanged if it’s not—­”

It was the first time I had seen the Vicomtesse in confusion.  And indeed if it were confusion she recovered instantly.

“You will probably be hanged, sir, if you do not mend your company,” she said.  “Do you not think so, Mr. Ritchie?”

“Davy!” he cried.  And catching sight of me in the doorway, over her shoulder, “Has he followed me here too?” Running past the Vicomtesse, he seized me in his impulsive way and searched my face.  “So you have followed me here, old faithful!  Madame,” he added, turning to the Vicomtesse, “there is some excuse for my getting into trouble.”