"Don't be alarmed, mademoiselle," Duchemin soothed her. "He will come
round presently, he will do splendidly now till we get him to bed; and
then his convalescence will be merely the matter of a while of rest."
He slipped his arms beneath the unconscious man, gathered him up bodily
and bore him to the carriage--and, thanks to man's amusing amour
propre, made far less of the effort than it cost him. Then, with
d'Aubrac disposed as comfortably as might be on the back seat, once
again pillowed in a fashion to make any man envious, Duchemin turned to
find the other women at his elbow. To the eldest he offered a bow
suited to her condition and a hand to help her into the barouche.
"Madame ..."
Her agitation had measurably subsided. The gentle inclination of the
aged head which acknowledged his courtesy was as eloquent of her
quality as he found the name which she gave him in quavering accents.
"Madame de Sevenie, monsieur."
"With madame's permission: I am Andre Duchemin."
"Monsieur Duchemin has placed us all deeply in his debt. Louise ..."
The girl in the carriage looked up and bowed, murmuring.
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