hat," she muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed, but immediately frowned again, "But what does that have to do with your vanishing without a trace?"

He paused in hesitation."There is something complicated. Please forgive me, I can''t say right now. Give me some time, I''ll tell you later,"

"Fine," she replied still irked, "fine, it''s settled! But you must be responsible for causing my idol to disappear all of a sudden!"

"Idol?" he was puzzled.

"Yes, when I read those words of Citizen Quenet, the image that appeared in my mind was a man of the most virtue! If I had known he was a perfidious crook, I would have never adored him from the beginning," she pouted in a fit of pique, turning her head away.

Andre couldn''t help but smile, "Then I will do my best to live up to his image. But now, we should return to the dining table. Your family is getting worried."

----------------

Several days later, one evening, Edith was assisting Lucile Desmoulins in revising the manuscripts for publication when she was unexpectedly asked, "Would you like to meet Madame Roland?"

"Citizeness Roland! Can I really go to her salon?" exclaimed Edith with delight.

Till they entered the drawing room of her idol, the young girl was still feeling kind of mellow.

Madame Roland approached them with confident and graceful strides.

To be honest, this "uncrowned queen of the Girondins" was not as exquisitely beautiful as Edith had seen in the pictorials, but more charming in her every move.

Madame Roland was buxom,