Dan's face betrayed his disappointment. "But you do know about Nancy," he insisted; "you will assure me--"
"Of nothing, dear boy,"--and she withdrew her hand. "But it had been so much better for us all if only Monsieur le Marquis had at the first confided in you."
Madame de la Fontaine had risen now and was holding out her hand to say good-bye.
"It is necessary that I return to the shore. I will see Monsieur le Marquis this afternoon, and immediately afterward--"
"But, madame, surely," Dan exclaimed, "I am to accompany you?"
"Ah! monsieur," she replied with a charming little smile, "for the present you must rest content to be _mon captif_. We must quite clearly understand each other before--well. But you are too impetuous, Monsieur Dan. For the moment I leave you here."
"But Madame de la Fontaine," cried Dan, "I cannot consent--"
"No! no!" she said, as with a gay laugh, she placed a cool little hand across his mouth to prevent his finishing his sentence.
What absurd impulse fired his blood at this sudden familiarity, Dan did not know; but, quite spontaneously, as though all his life he had been in the habit of paying such gallantries to charming ladies, he kissed the soft fingers upon his lips. Madame de la Fontaine quickly withdrew them.
"Ah, _mon ami_;" she said, "I expected not to find here _une telle galanterie_."
"I have offended you," murmured Dan, blushing furiously.
"Ah, _pas du tout_!" said Madame de la Fontaine. "You are a dear boy, monsieur Dan, and I--well, I find you charming."
As she said this, to Dan's complete confusion, Madame de la Fontaine lightly brushed his cheeks with her lips, and passing him rapidly, went out of the door of the saloon.
Owing to his long watch during the greater part of the night, Pembroke slept heavily until late the next morning. Indeed, he did not waken until Jesse, alarmed that neither Dan nor he had appeared, knocked on their door. He sprang up quickly then, and began to dress hastily. Dan's bed had not been slept in, and Tom wondered how the night had gone with him.
In a few moments he was down stairs and in the breakfast-room. He found the Marquis de Boisdhyver already at table, pouring out his coffee, which Deborah had just placed before him. Mrs. Frost had not appeared.