"My luggage arrived last night," said Madame de La Fontaine, "upon the ship that is at anchor in the bay. They are to bring my boxes ashore. But before that I desire to give directions to the captain at the beach, and I cannot well do so by my servant. Will you be kind enough to walk with me and show me the way?"
Dan forgot about Nancy in his eagerness to assure this unusually attractive lady that he was at her disposal. She disappeared within, and he heard her give some quick, sharp directions in French to a maid. Then in a moment she reappeared on the little porch, bonneted and wrapped for a walk in the cold.
As they set out across the Dunes, she kept up a rapid fire of questions that might have seemed inquisitive to one more accustomed to the world than Dan. He found himself in the course of that quarter of an hour talking quite freely with the charming stranger.
"No, I did not make the journey from France in the _Southern Cross_," she replied to one of his interrogations, "that would have been uncomfortable, I fear. But she brings over my boxes. She is arrived somewhat sooner than I was promised."
"Do you expect to signal her from the beach?"
"Oh, they have instructions. You must think all this curious!" she commented with a smile. "You must think me an odd person."
The possible oddness of Madame de La Fontaine made less impression upon Dan than did her charm. He was conversing easily with a very lovely woman, and all else was forgotten in that agreeable sensation.
As they emerged from the Dunes upon the little beach of the Cove, Dan observed on the deck of the _Southern Cross_ a sailor watching them through a glass. Madame de La Fontaine drew her handkerchief from beneath her cloak and waved it toward the ship.
"This is the signal," she explained, "that they were instructed to look out for. If I am not mistaken Captain Bonhomme will come to the shore for my directions. You speak French, monsieur?"
"Ah!" sighed the lady, "you lose a great deal."
"I might have learned some this winter," said Dan; "for we have had a French gentleman as our guest at the Inn."
"Indeed! And who, may I ask, is your French gentleman?"
"His name is the Marquis de Boisdhyver. Do you, by any chance, know him?"