Part 13 (2/2)

Thus these two children philosophised, trying to understand the mystery of the birth of Love But they were only children; they did not really understand Passion eeping theer had bound them irrevocably to one another The woirl strength to bear a difficult part, and now she loved hiers from which she had rescued him, and he loved her because she had risked her life for him

The hours sped on; there was so much to say, sowere gathering fast; the roos and faded tapestries, was sinking into the arloom Aunt Marie was no doubt too terrified to stir out of her kitchen; she did not bring the lalad that the gloa effectually hid the perpetual blush in her cheeks

In the evening air the dying flowers sent their heady fragrance around

Ar to Jeanne's fingers, with the touch of her satin gown that brushed his cheek, with the h her tears

No noise froly outer world reached this secluded spot In the tiny square outside a street la in through the lace curtains at theThey caught the dainty silhouette of the young girl, playing with the loose tendrils of her hair around her forehead, and outlining with a thin band of light the contour of neck and shoulder, low

Ar to him, her lips were ready to yield

”Tu m'aimes?” he whispered

And like a tired child she sank upon his breast

He kissed her hair, her eyes, her lips; her skin was fragrant as the flowers of spring, the tears on her cheeks glistened likethe la side by side, like two children, hand in hand, mute with the eloquence which co even that they lived, knowing nothing except that they loved

The la voice:

”Oh, e to rid yourself of those brutes?”

But she asked no other question, even when the la cheeks of Jeanne and the ardent eyes of Ar since atrophied, there were a few memories, carefully put away in a secret cell, and those memories caused the old woman to understand

Neither Jeanne nor Armand noticed what she did; the spell had been broken, but the drea the roo out by the door

But through the dreanition After Armand had asked for the hundredth time: ”Tu m'aimes?” and Jeanne for the hundredth time had replied mutely with her eyes, her fears for hi had awakened her from her trance--a heavy footstep, mayhap, in the street below, the distant roll of a drum, or only the clash of steel saucepans in Aunt Marie's kitchen But suddenly Jeanne was alert, and with her alertness came terror for the beloved

”Your life,” she said--for he had called her his life just then, ”your life--and I was forgetting that it is still in danger your dear, your precious life!”

”Doubly dear now,” he replied, ”since I owe it to you”

”Then I pray you, I entreat you, guard it well forof you!” she continuedthe look of deer nearer to your door”

”I could not leave Paris while you are here”

”But I aed; ”quite, quite safe, I assure you I am only a poor actress, and the Government takes no heed of us mimes

Menone another

Indeed, indeed, I should be far safer here noaiting quietly for awhile, while you o My hasty departure at thisdisaster on us both”