CHAPTER XL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 384, 13 July 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XL.

'GERMANY AND. SAFETY. Wat did 1 nob wait to receive Veras thanks yot> for 'though they were out 6f danger they migjit yet be 'detained if they were caught by the' German •"offi.cials, and it was' important that they should be in Paris as soon as.possible. , , „ „ , He hurried her to some distance from.the, rive.', and then left her for a few minutes' while he changed his clothes from the soldier g'arß back to the suit lie ha,d .taken from the Duke of Kalouga. • He had taken the precaution to have this , suit carried along by one of the smuggloi's. ' Ib was now not iar from morning} and, tired as Vera was, he knew it. would be better to tax her to the limit of her strength, rather than run the risk of being captured. . Ho did not know, how ,far away the nearest railway sta.tion was, but it was, not 1 likely. tp oe very/ar, and if.' he could reach it before daylight, and thus avoid' 'inquiry.' into his actions, lie would be glacl.' , ' ' Striking off into bhecouritryj to get away from the soldiers who might be prowling around tho ' neighbourhood, he determined •to seek scwi© v cQtfcage, and inquire there. ,

They came upon a road befpre long, and Wat had no hesitation in following it. After a while ..they, came to a .little rqad,- • side cottage, and it was so near daylight.. tha,t Wat knocked at, the door. The peasant- who , came to, th 3 door In answer to the knock was not over ' polite,' but ho answered" Wat's. questions after Wat had iloosened hitf tongue with' a piece of silveV, and that -was all' they cared for; A little farther on' was a village, and in .that' village-was a tavern- where 'they could -> get enberfcaShinenfc ifrthey wished, ora con rveyance if they preferred to go at once to the railway station,. which was five miles beyond it. '\ . . „ ' ; Now that she was .in safety, and the ' strain was 1 .remove^ .Yera. could hardly drag one foot, after another.. „_ She pluckily refused to stop and rest, however,' saying that she would never forgive herself if, through any .weaknoss of hers, any misfortune should happen. ," She was constantly thinking of Sofia's words > concerning Ivan, and though- she said'nothing about ip to Wat,, he could, tell what it was that troubled her. f /*, „„ " '•In truth, >he was no less troubledithan she was, and he was very anxious Ito ,be in ' Paris. Just what, harm 1 could 'have ' come, to Ivan; he could} not oyen',con juncture, hut lje -was 'certain from Sofia's manner /that something of h^r causing;had happened/ . Wat almost carried Vera foi\~the Remainder »f the distance to'fchf village. When at last they reached it, dawn was just about breaking, and the thrifty tavern-. > keeper was opening his doors* as the two tired wanderers presented themselves.. Stimulated by Wat's liberal- use of money he bestirred himself to make them up a breakfast they ate as he had the conveyance grot ready. Rested by the breakfast and by.a" refresh- 1 ing wash in cool water. Vera was ready, so she declared, to go foranother two day 3 as hard as she had already gone. Wat smiled, but, noting the dark rings under her beautiful eyes, knew betterthan, she did that she could not have done much more than she had done. They were fortunate enough to reach 'the station in time to catch a train" 'bound for Berlin. ' / Vera now slept • most pf the time, and was so much rested that she refused utterly' to stop over at Berlin while* Wat went on to Paris. ' ~ ' 1 1 wan.t to see Ivan, 5 she said. c Ifc seems as if years had elapsed since I last saw him. ' No, I will go with you.' " So they went on to Paris as fast as 1 steam could take them, though Wats,, scenting^ trouble ahead', would have been glad, to have Vera remain behind.