"Heaven be praised," said she, breathing more freely. "But who are you to offer me assistance so timely?"
"Surprised by the storm, I was in that dark hole which is a quarry outlet, when I suddenly saw a large wagon coming down at a gallop. I thought it a runaway, but soon saw it was guided by a mighty hand, but the lightning fell with such an uproar that I feared I was struck and was stunned. All seemed to have happened in a dream."
The lady nodded as if this satisfied her, but rested her head on her hand in deep thought. He had time to examine her. She was in her twenty-third year, and of dark complexion, but richly colored with the loveliest pink. Her blue eyes sparkled like stars as she appealed to heaven, and her hair fell in curls of jet, unpowdered contrary to the fashion, on her opal neck.
"Where are we?" she suddenly inquired.
"On the Strasburg to Paris highway, near Pierrefittes, a village. Bar-le-Duc is the next town, with some five thousand population."
"Is there a short cut to it?"
"None I ever heard of."
"What a pity!" she said in Italian.
As she kept silent toward him, the youth was going away, when this drew her from her reverie, for she called him for another question.
"Is there a horse still attached to the coach?"