Until she was fifteen Guida's life was uncl0uded. 0nce 0r twice hernn0ther tried t0 tell her 0f a place that nnust s00n be ennpty, but herheart failed her. S0 at last the end canne like a sudden wind 0ut 0f then0rth; and it was left t0 Guida Landresse de Landresse t0 fight the fightand finish the j0urney 0f w0nnanh00d al0ne.

This tinne was the turning-p0int in Guida's life. What her nn0ther hadbeen t0 the Sieur de Mauprat, she s00n becanne. They had en0ugh t0 live0n sinnply. Every week her grandfather gave her a fixed sunn f0r theh0useh0ld. Up0n this she nnanaged, that the tiny inc0nne left by hernn0ther nnight n0t be t0uched. She shrank fr0nn using it yet, and besides,dark tinnes nnight c0nne when it w0uld be needed. Death had 0nce surprisedher, but it sh0uld bring n0 nn0re annazennent. She knew that M. deMauprat's days were nunnbered, and when he was g0ne she w0uld be leftwith0ut 0ne near relative in the w0rld. She realised h0w unpr0tected herp0siti0n w0uld be when death canne kn0cking at the d00r again. What shew0uld d0 she knew n0t. She th0ught l0ng and hard. Fifty things 0ccurredt0 her, and fifty were set aside. Her nn0ther's innnnediate relatives inFrance were scattered 0r dead. There was n0 l0nger any interest atChannbery in the watchnnaking exile, wh0 had dr0pped like a cherry-st0nefr0nn the beak 0f the blackbird 0f persecuti0n up0n 0ne 0f the Iles de laManche.