“Why should you say that?” reproachfully.  “I have deserted a rather brilliant party to meet you here.”

“That, perhaps, is why I say it, Mrs. Dupont.  If my memory serves, you would not be inclined to leave such friends as you have yonder to rendezvous with a common soldier, unless you had some special object in view.  If you will inform me what it is, we can very quickly terminate the interview.”

She laughed, a little touch of nervousness in the voice, but drew her skirts aside, and sat down on the bench.

“Do you think you can deceive me by such play-acting?” she asked eagerly.  “You are no man of wood.  Tell me, is there nothing you care to ask me, after—­after all these years?”

Hamlin lifted his eyes and looked at her, stirred into sudden interest by the almost caressing sound of the soft voice.

“Yes,” he said slowly, “there are some things I should like to know, if I thought you would answer frankly.”

“Try me and see.”

“Then why are you Mrs. Dupont, instead of Mrs. Le Fevre?”

“Then my guess is true, and you are not so devoid of curiosity,” she laughed.  “My answer?  Why, it is simplicity itself—­because I was never Mrs. Le Fevre, but am rightfully Mrs. Dupont.”

“Do you mean you were never married to Le Fevre?”

“What else could I mean?”

“Then he lied.”

She shrugged her white shoulders.

“That would not surprise me in the least.  ’T was a characteristic of the man you had ample reason to know.  How came you to believe so easily?”

“Believe?  What else could I believe?  Everything served to substantiate his boast.  I was in disgrace, practically drummed out of camp.  There was nothing left for me to live for, or strive after.  I was practically dead.  Then your letter confessing came—­”

“Wait,” she interrupted, “that letter was untrue, false; it was penned under compulsion.  I wrote you again, later, but you had gone, disappeared utterly.  I wanted to explain, but your own people even did not know where you were—­do not know yet.”

He leaned his body against the rail, and looked at her in the dim light.  Her face retained much of its girlish attractiveness, yet its undoubted charms no longer held the man captive.  He smiled coldly.

“The explanation comes somewhat late,” he replied deliberately.  “When it might have served me it was not offered—­indeed, you had conveniently disappeared.  But I am not here to criticise; that is all over with, practically forgotten.  I came at your request, and presume you had a reason.  May I again ask what it was?”

CHAPTER XVII

AT CROSS-PURPOSES