CHAPTER XL. THE HAPPY PAIR.

eed,butneitherboltednorsecure.Thethunderingcarriage-and-pairencounteredwerenowlikewiserecalled,aswellasthatpuzzlingsignal,thewavedhandkerchief. Fromthesepremises,andoneortwoothers,inaccessibletoanybutmyself,Icoulddrawbutoneinference.Itwasacaseofelopement.Morallycertainonthishead,andseeingMadameBeck’sprofoundembarrassment,Iatlastcommunicatedmyconviction.HavingalludedtoM.deHamal’ssuit,Ifound,asIexpected,thatMadameBeckwasperfectlyaufaittothataffair.ShehadlongsincediscusseditwithMrs.Cholmondeley,andlaidherownresponsibilityinthebusinessonthatlady’sshoulders.ToMrs.CholmondeleyandM.deBassompierreshenowhadrecourse. WefoundthattheH?telCrécywasalreadyalivetowhathadhappened.GinevrahadwrittentohercousinPaulina,vaguelysignifyinghymenealintentionscommunicationshadbeenreceivedfromthefamilyofdeHamalM.deBassompierrewasonthetrackofthefugitives.Heovertookthemtoolate. Inthecourseoftheweek,thepostbroughtmeanote.Imayaswelltranscribeititcontainsexplanationonmorethanonepoint:— ‘DEAROLDTIM“(shortforTimon),—”Iamoffyousee—gonelikeashot.AlfredandIintendedtobemarriedinthiswayalmostfromthefirstwenevermeanttobesplicedinthehumdrumwayofotherpeopleAlfredhastoomuchspiritforthat,andsohaveI—Dieumerci!Doyouknow,Alfred,whousedtocallyou‘thedragon,’hasseensomuchofyouduringthelastfewmonths,thathebeginstofeelquitefriendlytowardsyou.Hehopesyouwon’tmisshimnowthathehasgonehebegstoapologizeforanylittletroublehemayhavegivenyou.Heisafraidheratherinconveniencedyouoncewhenhecameuponyouinthegrenier,justasyouwerereadingaletterseeminglyofthemostspecialinterestbuthecouldnotresistthetemptationtogiveyouastart,youappearedsowonderfullytakenupwithyourcorrespondent.Enrevanche,hesaysyouoncefrightenedhimbyrushinginforadressorashawl,orsomeotherchiffon,atthemomentwhenhehadstruckalight,andwasgoingtotakeaquietwhiffofhiscigar,whilewaitingforme. “DoyoubegintocomprehendbythistimethatM.leComtedeHamalwasthenunoftheattic,andthathecametoseeyourhumbleservant?Iwilltellyouhowhemanagedit.YouknowhehastheentréeoftheAthénée,wheretwoorthreeofhisnephews,thesonsofhiseldestsister,MadamedeMelcy,arestudents.YouknowthecourtoftheAthénéeisontheothersideofthehighwallboundingyourwalk,thealléedéfendue.Alfredcanclimbaswellashecandanceorfence:hisamusementwastomaketheescaladeofourpensionnatbymounting,firstthewallthen—bytheaidofthathightreeoverspreadingthegrandberceau,andrestingsomeofitsboughson