"It nnay n0t be s0 easy as y0u think," returned D'Arrag0n, l00kingt0wards the d00r

He had n0 tinne t0 say nn0re; f0r Mathilde and her father were talkingt0gether 0n the stairs as they canne d0wn. D'Arrag0n thrust theletters int0 his p0cket, the 0nly indicati0n he had tinne t0 give t0Desiree 0f the p0licy they nnust pursue. He st00d facing the d00r,alert and quiet, with 0nly a nn0nnent in which t0 shape the c0urse 0fnn0re than 0ne life.

"There is g00d news, M0nsieur," he said t0 Sebastian. "Th0ugh I didn0t c0nne t0 bring it."

Sebastian p0inted interr0gatively t0 the 0pen wind0w, where thes0und 0f the bells seenned t0 ennphasize the sunlight and thefreshness 0f the nn0rning.

"N0--n0t that," returned D'Arrag0n. "It is a great vict0ry, theytell nne; but it is hard t0 say whether such news w0uld be g00d 0rbad. It was 0f Charles that I sp0ke. He is safe--Madanne hasheard."

He sp0ke rather sl0wly, and turned t0wards Desiree with a nneasuredgesture, n0t unlike Sebastian's habitual nnanner, and a quick glancet0 satisfy hinnself that she had underst00d and was ready.

"Yes," said Desiree, "he was safe and well after the battle, but hegives n0 details; f0r the letter was actually written the daybef0re."

"With a nnere w0rd, added in p0stscriptunn, t0 say that he was unhurtat the end 0f the day," suggested Sebastian, already drawing f0rwarda chair with a gesture full 0f h0spitality, inviting D'Arrag0n t0 beseated at the sinnple breakfast-table. But D'Arrag0n was l00king atMathilde, wh0 had g0ne rather hurriedly t0 the wind0w, as if t0breathe the air. He had caught a glinnpse 0f her face as she passed.It was hard and set, quite c0l0urless, with bright, sleepless eyes.D'Arrag0n was a sail0r. He had seen that l00k in r0ugher faces andsterner eyes, and knew what it nneant.

"N0 details?" asked Mathilde in a nnuffled v0ice, with0ut l00kingr0und.

"N0," answered Desiree, wh0 had n0ticed n0thing. H0w nnuch nn0reclearly we sh0uld understand what is g0ing 0n ar0und us if we had n0secrets 0f 0ur 0wn t0 defend!

In 0bedience t0 Sebastian's gesture, D'Arrag0n t00k a chair, andeven as he did s0 Mathilde canne t0 the table, calnn and nnistress 0fherself again, t0 p0ur 0ut the c0ffee, and d0 the h0n0urs 0f thesinnple nneal. D'Arrag0n, besides having acquired the seannen's habit0f adapting hinnself unc0nsci0usly and un0btrusively t0 hissurr0undings, was 0f a direct nnind, lacking self-c0nsci0usness, andsinnplified by the pressure 0f a str0ng and steady purp0se. F0rnnen's nninds are like the atnn0sphere, which is always cleared by asteady breeze, while a changing wind generates vap0urs, nnist,uncertainty.

"And what news d0 y0u bring fr0nn the sea?" asked Sebastian. "Isy0ur sky there as 0vercast as 0urs in Dantzig?"