They　parted；the　Vendean　leader　convinced　of　the　necessity　of　yielding　to　circumstances　and　keeping　his　beliefs　in　the　depths　of　his　heart；　La　Billardiere　to　return　to　his　negotiations　in　England；　and　Montauran　to　fight　savagely　and　compel　the　Vendeans；　by　the　victories　he　expected　to　win；　to　co…operate　in　his　enterprise。
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  The　events　of　the　day　had　excited　such　violent　emotions　in　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil's　whole　being　that　she　lay　back　almost　fainting　in　the　carriage；　after　giving　the　order　to　drive　to　Fougeres。　Francine　was　as　silent　as　her　mistress。　The　postilion；　dreading　some　new　disaster；　made　all　the　haste　he　could　to　reach　the　high…road；　and　was　soon　on　the　summit　of　La　Pelerine。　Through　the　thick　white　mists　of　morning　Marie　de　Verneuil　crossed　the　broad　and　beautiful　valley　of　Couesnon　（where　this　history　began）　scarcely　able　to　distinguish　the　slaty　rock　on　which　the　town　of　Fougeres　stands　from　the　slopes　of　La　Pelerine。　They　were　still　eight　miles　from　it。　Shivering　with　cold　herself；　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　recollected　the　poor　soldier　behind　the　carriage；　and　insisted；　against　his　remonstrances；　in　taking　him　into　the　carriage　beside　Francine。　The　sight　of　Fougeres　drew　her　for　a　time　out　of　her　reflections。　The　sentinels　stationed　at　the　Porte　Saint…Leonard　refused　to　allow　ingress　to　the　strangers；　and　she　was　therefore　obliged　to　exhibit　the　ministerial　order。　This　at　once　gave　her　safety　in　entering　the　town；　but　the　postilion　could　find　no　other　place　for　her　to　stop　at　than　the　Poste　inn。
  〃Madame；〃　said　the　Blue　whose　life　she　had　saved。　〃If　you　ever　want　a　sabre　to　deal　some　special　blow；　my　life　is　yours。　I　am　good　for　that。　My　name　is　Jean　Falcon；　otherwise　called　Beau…Pied；　sergeant　of　the　first　company　of　Hulot's　veterans；　seventy…second　half…brigade；　nicknamed　'Les　Mayencais。'　Excuse　my　vanity；　I　can　only　offer　you　the　soul　of　a　sergeant；　but　that's　at　your　service。〃
  He　turned　on　his　heel　and　walked　off　whistling。
  〃The　lower　one　goes　in　social　life；〃　said　Marie；　bitterly；　〃the　more　we　find　generous　feelings　without　display。　A　marquis　returns　death　for　life；　and　a　poor　sergeantbut　enough　of　that。〃
  When　the　weary　woman　was　at　last　in　a　warm　bed；　her　faithful　Francine　waited　in　vain　for　the　affectionate　good…night　to　which　she　was　accustomed；　but　her　mistress；　seeing　her　still　standing　and　evidently　uneasy；　made　her　a　sign　of　distress。
  〃This　is　called　a　day；　Francine；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　have　aged　ten　years　in　it。〃
  The　next　morning；　as　soon　as　she　had　risen；　Corentin　came　to　see　her　and　she　admitted　him。
  〃Francine；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃my　degradation　is　great　indeed；　for　the　thought　of　that　man　is　not　disagreeable　to　me。〃
  Still；　when　she　saw　him；　she　felt　once　more；　for　the　hundredth　time；　the　instinctive　repulsion　which　two　years'　intercourse　had　increased　rather　than　lessened。
  〃Well；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃I　felt　certain　you　were　succeeding。　Was　I　mistaken？　did　you　get　hold　of　the　wrong　man？〃
  〃Corentin；〃　she　replied；　with　a　dull　look　of　pain；　〃never　mention　that　affair　to　me　unless　I　speak　of　it　myself。〃
  He　walked　up　and　down　the　room　casting　oblique　glances　at　her；　endeavoring　to　guess　the　secret　thoughts　of　the　singular　woman　whose　mere　glance　had　the　power　of　discomfiting　at　times　the　cleverest　men。
  〃I　foresaw　this　check；〃　he　replied；　after　a　moment's　silence。　〃If　you　would　be　willing　to　establish　your　headquarters　in　this　town；　I　have　already　found　a　suitable　place　for　you。　We　are　in　the　very　centre　of　Chouannerie。　Will　you　stay　here？〃
  She　answered　with　an　affirmative　sign；　which　enabled　Corentin　to　make　conjectures；　partly　correct；　as　to　the　events　of　the　preceding　evening。
  〃I　can　hire　a　house　for　you；　a　bit　of　national　property　still　unsold。　They　are　behind　the　age　in　these　parts。　No　one　has　dared　buy　the　old　barrack　because　it　belonged　to　an　/emigre/　who　was　thought　to　be　harsh。　It　is　close　to　the　church　of　Saint　Leonard；　and　on　my　word　of　honor　the　view　from　it　is　delightful。　Something　can　really　be　made　of　the　old　place；　will　you　try　it？〃
  〃Yes；　at　once；〃　she　cried。
  〃I　want　a　few　hours　to　have　it　cleaned　and　put　in　order　for　you；　so　that　you　may　like　it。〃
  〃What　matter？〃　she　said。　〃I　could　live　in　a　cloister　or　a　prison　without　caring。　However；　see　that　everything　is　in　order　before　night；　so　that　I　may　sleep　there　in　perfect　solitude。　Go；　leave　me；　your　presence　is　intolerable。　I　wish　to　be　alone　with　Francine；　she　is　better　for　me　than　my　own　company；　perhaps。　Adieu；　gogo；　I　say。〃
  These　words；　said　volubly　with　a　mingling　of　coquetry；　despotism；　and　passion；　showed　she　had　entirely　recovered　her　self…possession。　Sleep　had　no　doubt　classified　the　impressions　of　the　preceding　day；　and　reflection　had　determined　her　on　vengeance。　If　a　few　reluctant　signs　appeared　on　her　face　they　only　proved　the　ease　with　which　certain　women　can　bury　the　better　feelings　of　their　souls；　and　the　cruel　dissimulation　which　enables　them　to　smile　sweetly　while　planning　the　destruction　of　a　victim。　She　sat　alone　after　Corentin　had　left　her；　thinking　how　she　could　get　the　marquis　still　living　into　her　toils。　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　this　woman　had　lived　according　to　her　inmost　desires；　but　of　that　life　nothing　remained　but　one　craving；　that　of　vengeance；vengeance　complete　and　infinite。　It　was　her　one　thought；　her　sole　desire。　Francine's　words　and　attentions　were　unnoticed。　Marie　seemed　to　be　sleeping　with　her　eyes　open；　and　the　long　day　passed　without　an　action　or　even　a　gesture　that　bore　testimony　to　her　thoughts。　She　lay　on　a　couch　which　she　had　made　of　chairs　and　pillows。　It　was　late　in　the　evening　when　a　few　words　escaped　her；　as　if　involuntarily。
  〃My　child；〃　she　said　to　Francine；　〃I　understood　yesterday　what　it　was　to　live　for　love；　to…day　I　know　what　it　means　to　die　for　vengeance。　Yes；　I　will　give　my　life　to　seek　him　wherever　he　may　be；　to　meet　him；　seduce　him；　make　him　mine！　If　I　do　not　have　that　man；　who　dared　to　despise　me；　at　my　feet　humble　and　submissive；　if　I　do　not　make　him　my　lackey　and　my　slave；　I　shall　indeed　be　base；　I　shall　not　be　a　woman；　I　shall　not　be　myself。〃
  The　house　which　Corentin　now　hired　for　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　offered　many　gratifications　to　the　innate　love　of　luxury　and　elegance　that　was　part　of　this　girl。　The　capricious　creature　took　possession　of　it　with　regal　composure；　as　of　a　thing　which　already　belonged　to　her；　she　appropriated　the　furniture　and　arranged　it　with　intuitive　sympathy；　as　though　she　had　known　it　all　her　life。　This　is　a　vulgar　detail；　but　one　that　is　not　unimportant　in　sketching　the　character　of　so　exceptional　a　person。　She　seemed　to　have　been　already　familiarized　in　a　dream　with　the　house　in　which　she　now　lived　on　her　hatred　as　she　might　have　lived　on　her　love。
  〃At　least；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃I　did　not　rouse　insulting　pity　in　him；　I　do　not　owe　him　my　life。　Oh；　my　first；　my　last；　my　only　love！　what　an　end　to　it！〃　She　sprang　upon　Francine；　who　was　terrified。　〃Do　you　love　a　man？　Oh；　yes；　yes；　I　remember；　you　do。　I　am　glad　I　have　a　woman　here　who　can　understand　me。　Ah；　my　poor　Francette；　man　is　a　miserable　being。　Ha！　he　said　he　loved　me；　and　his　love　could　not　bear　the　slightest　test！　But　I；if　all　men　had　accused　him　I　would　have　defended　him；　if　the　universe　rejected　him　my　soul　should　have　been　his　refuge。　In　the　old　days　life　was　filled　with　human　beings　coming　and　going　for　whom　I　did　not　care；　it　was　sad　and　dull；　but　not　horrible；　but　now；　now；　what　is　life　without　him？　He　will　live　on；　and　I　not　near　him！　I　shall　not　see　him；　speak　to　him；　feel　him；　hold　him；　press　him；ha！　I　would　rather　strangle　him　myself　in　his　sleep！〃
  Francine；　horrified；　looked　at　her　in　silence。
  〃Kill　the　man　you　love？〃　she　said；　in　a　soft　voice。
  〃Yes；　yes；　if　he　ceases　to　love　me。〃
  But　after　those　ruthless　words　she　hid　her　face　in　her　hands；　and　sat　down　silently。
  The　next　day　a　man　presented　himself　without　being　announced。　His　face　was　stern。　It　was　Hulot；　followed　by　Corentin。　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　looked　at　the　commandant　and　trembled。
  〃You　have　come；〃　she　said；　〃to　ask　me　to　account　for　your　friends。　They　are　dead。〃
  〃I　know　it；〃　he　replied；　〃and　not　in　the　service　of　the　Republic。〃
  〃For　me；　and　by　me；〃　she　said。　〃You　preach　the　nation　to　me。　Can　the　nation　bring　to　life　those　who　die　for　her？　Can　she　even　avenge　them？　But　II　will　avenge　them！〃　she　cried。　The　awful　images　of　the　catastrophe　filled　her　imagination　suddenly；　and　the　graceful　creature　who　held　modesty　to　be　the　first　of　women's　wiles　forgot　herself　in　a　moment　of　madness；　and　marched　towards　the　amazed　commandant　brusquely。
  〃In　exchange　for　a　few　murdered　soldiers；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　bring　to　the　block　a　head　that　is　worth　a　million　heads　of　other　men。　It　is　not　a　woman's　business　to　wage　war；　but　you；　old　as　you　are；　shall　learn　good　stratagems　from　me。　I'll　deliver　a　whole　family　to　your　bayonets　him；　his　ancestors；　his　past；　his　future。　I　will　be　as　false　and　treacherous　to　him　as　I　was　good　and　true。　Yes；　commandant；　I　will　bring　that　little　noble　to　my　arms；　and　he　shall　leave　them　to　go　to　death。　I　have　no　other　rival。　The　wretch　himself　pronounced　his　doom；　/a　day　without　a　morrow/。　Your　Republic　and　I　shall　be　avenged。　The　R