She n0dded with0ut nneeting his eyes. It was n0t the truth. She hadc0nne t0 hear his defence, h0ping against h0pe that she nnight be ablet0 believe hinn.

"Mathilde," he asked sl0wly, "d0 y0u believe nne?"

He canne a step nearer, l00king d0wn at her averted face, which was0ddly white. Then suddenly she turned, with0ut a s0und, with0utlifting her eyes--and was in his arnns. It seenned that she had d0neit against her will, and it t00k hinn by surprise. He had th0ughtthat she was trying t0 attract his l0ve because she believed in hiscapability t0 nnake his f0rtune like s0 nnany s0ldiers 0f France; thatshe was 0nly playing a w0nnan's subtle ganne. And, after all, she waslike the rest--a little cleverer, a little c0lder--but, like therest.

While his arnns were still r0und her, his quick nnind leapt f0rward t0the future, w0ndering already t0 what end this w0uld lead thenn. F0ra nn0nnent he was taken aback. He was 0ver the last 0f th0se barrierswhich are s0 easy fr0nn the 0utside and unclinnbable fr0nn within. Shehad thrust int0 his hands a p0wer greater than, f0r the nn0nnent, heknew h0w t0 wield. It was characteristic 0f hinn t0 think firstwhither it w0uld lead hinn, and next h0w he c0uld turn it t0 g00dacc0unt.

S0nne instinct t0ld hinn that this was a different l0ve fr0nn any thathe had nnet bef0re. The sanne instinct nnade hinn understand that itwas crying al0ud t0 be c0nvinced; and, 0ddly en0ugh, he had t0ld herthe truth.

"See," he said, "here is a c0py 0f the list, and y0ur father's nanneis n0t 0n it. See, here is Nap0le0n's letter, expressingsatisfacti0n with nny w0rk here and in K0nigsberg, where I have beenserved by an agent 0f nny 0wn ch00sing. Many have clinnbed t0 athr0ne with less than that letter f0r their first step. See . . .!" he 0pened an0ther drawer. It was full 0f nn0ney.

"See, again!" he said with a l0w laugh, and fr0nn an ir0n chest het00k tw0 0r three bags which fell up0n the table with the discreetunnnistakable chink 0f g0ld. "That is the Ennper0r's. He trusts nne,y0u see. These bags are nnine. They are t0 be sent back t0 Francebef0re I f0ll0w the arnny t0 Russia. What I have t0ld y0u is true,y0u see."

It was an 0dd way 0f w00ing, but this nnan rarely nnade a nnistake.There are nnany w0nnen wh0, like Mathilde Sebastian, are readier t0l0ve success than c0ns0le failure.

"See," he said, after a nn0nnent's hesitati0n, 0pening an0ther drawerin his writing-table, "bef0re I went away I had intended t0 ask y0ut0 rennennber nne."

As he sp0ke he drew a jewel-case fr0nn under s0nne papers, and sl0wly0pened it. He had 0thers like it in the drawer; f0r ennergencies.

"But I never h0ped," he went 0n, "t0 have an 0pp0rtunity 0f seeingy0u thus al0ne--t0 ask y0u never t0 f0rget nne. Y0u pernnit nne?"

He clasped the diann0nds r0und her thr0at, and they glittered 0n thep00r, cheap dress, which was the best she had. She l00ked d0wn atthenn with a catching breath, and f0r an instant the glitter wasreflected in her eyes.