〃Oh；　Marie。　I　shall　never　cease　to　believe　in　you　now。〃
  〃Then　throw　that　fire　away。　You　are　mad。　Open　your　hand；　I　insist　upon　it。〃
  He　took　delight　in　still　resisting　the　soft　efforts　of　her　fingers；　but　she　succeeded　in　opening　the　hand　she　would　fain　have　kissed。
  〃What　good　did　that　do　you？〃　she　said；　as　she　tore　her　handkerchief　and　laid　it　on　the　burn；　which　the　marquis　covered　with　his　glove。
  Madame　du　Gua　had　stolen　softly　into　the　cardroom；　watching　the　lovers　with　furtive　eyes；　but　escaping　theirs　adroitly；　it　was；　however；　impossible　for　her　to　understand　their　conversation　from　their　actions。
  〃If　all　that　they　said　of　me　was　true　you　must　admit　that　I　am　avenged　at　this　moment；〃　said　Marie；　with　a　look　of　malignity　which　startled　the　marquis。
  〃What　feeling　brought　you　here？〃　he　asked。
  〃Do　you　suppose；　my　dear　friend；　that　you　can　despise　a　woman　like　me　with　impunity？　I　came　here　for　your　sake　and　for　my　own；〃　she　continued；　after　a　pause；　laying　her　hand　on　the　hilt　of　rubies　in　her　bosom　and　showing　him　the　blade　of　her　dagger。
  〃What　does　all　that　mean？〃　thought　Madame　du　Gua。
  〃But；〃　she　continued；　〃you　still　love　me；　at　any　rate；　you　desire　me；　and　the　folly　you　have　just　committed；〃　she　added；　taking　his　hand；　〃proves　it　to　me。　I　will　again　be　that　I　desired　to　be；　and　I　return　to　Fougeres　happy。　Love　absolves　everything。　You　love　me；　I　have　regained　the　respect　of　the　man　who　represents　to　me　the　whole　world；　and　I　can　die。〃
  〃Then　you　still　love　me？〃　said　the　marquis。
  〃Have　I　said　so？〃　she　replied　with　a　scornful　look；　delighting　in　the　torture　she　was　making　him　endure。　〃I　have　run　many　risks　to　come　here。　I　have　saved　Monsieur　de　Bauvan's　life；　and　he；　more　grateful　than　others；　offers　me　in　return　his　fortune　and　his　name。　You　have　never　even　thought　of　doing　that。〃
  The　marquis；　bewildered　by　these　words；　stifled　the　worst　anger　he　had　ever　felt；　supposing　that　the　count　had　played　him　false。　He　made　no　answer。
  〃Ah！　you　reflect；〃　she　said；　bitterly。
  〃Mademoiselle；〃　replied　the　young　man；　〃your　doubts　justify　mine。〃
  〃Let　us　leave　this　room；〃　said　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil；　catching　sight　of　a　corner　of　Madame　du　Gua's　gown；　and　rising。　But　the　wish　to　reduce　her　rival　to　despair　was　too　strong；　and　she　made　no　further　motion　to　go。
  〃Do　you　mean　to　drive　me　to　hell？〃　cried　the　marquis；　seizing　her　hand　and　pressing　it　violently。
  〃Did　you　not　drive　me　to　hell　five　days　ago？　are　you　not　leaving　me　at　this　very　moment　uncertain　whether　your　love　is　sincere　or　not？〃
  〃But　how　do　I　know　whether　your　revenge　may　not　lead　you　to　obtain　my　life　to　tarnish　it；　instead　of　killing　me？〃
  〃Ah！　you　do　not　love　me！　you　think　of　yourself　and　not　of　me！〃　she　said　angrily；　shedding　a　few　tears。
  The　coquettish　creature　well　knew　the　power　of　her　eyes　when　moistened　by　tears。
  〃Well；　then；〃　he　cried；　beside　himself；　〃take　my　life；　but　dry　those　tears。〃
  〃Oh；　my　love！　my　love！〃　she　exclaimed　in　a　stifled　voice：　〃those　are　the　words；　the　accents；　the　looks　I　have　longed　for；　to　allow　me　to　prefer　your　happiness　to　mine。　But；〃　she　added；　〃I　ask　one　more　proof　of　your　love；　which　you　say　is　so　great。　I　wish　to　stay　here　only　so　long　as　may　be　needed　to　show　the　company　that　you　are　mine。　I　will　not　even　drink　a　glass　of　water　in　the　house　of　a　woman　who　has　twice　tried　to　kill　me；　who　is　now；　perhaps；　plotting　mischief　against　us；〃　and　she　showed　the　marquis　the　floating　corner　of　Madame　du　Gua's　drapery。　Then　she　dried　her　eyes　and　put　her　lips　to　the　ear　of　the　young　man；　who　quivered　as　he　felt　the　caress　of　her　warm　breath。　〃See　that　everything　is　prepared　for　my　departure；〃　she　said；　〃you　shall　take　me　yourself　to　Fougeres　and　there　only　will　I　tell　you　if　I　love　you。　For　the　second　time　I　trust　you。　Will　you　trust　me　a　second　time？〃
  〃Ah；　Marie；　you　have　brought　me　to　a　point　where　I　know　not　what　I　do。　I　am　intoxicated　by　your　words；　your　looks；　by　youby　you；　and　I　am　ready　to　obey　you。〃
  〃Well；　then；　make　me　for　an　instant　very　happy。　Let　me　enjoy　the　only　triumph　I　desire。　I　want　to　breathe　freely；　to　drink　of　the　life　I　have　dreamed；　to　feed　my　illusions　before　they　are　gone　forever。　Come　come　into　the　ballroom　and　dance　with　me。〃
  They　re…entered　the　room　together；　and　though　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　as　completely　satisfied　in　heart　and　vanity　as　any　woman　ever　could　be；　the　unfathomable　gentleness　of　her　eyes；　the　demure　smile　on　her　lips；　the　rapidity　of　the　motions　of　a　gay　dance；　kept　the　secret　of　her　thoughts　as　the　sea　swallows　those　of　the　criminal　who　casts　a　weighted　body　into　its　depths。　But　a　murmur　of　admiration　ran　through　the　company　as；　circling　in　each　other's　arms；　voluptuously　interlaced；　with　heavy　heads；　and　dimmed　sight；　they　waltzed　with　a　sort　of　frenzy；　dreaming　of　the　pleasures　they　hoped　to　find　in　a　future　union。
  A　few　moments　later　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　and　the　marquis　were　in　the　latter's　travelling…carriage　drawn　by　four　horses。　Surprised　to　see　these　enemies　hand　in　hand；　and　evidently　understanding　each　other；　Francine　kept　silence；　not　daring　to　ask　her　mistress　whether　her　conduct　was　that　of　treachery　or　love。　Thanks　to　the　darkness；　the　marquis　did　not　observe　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil's　agitation　as　they　neared　Fougeres。　The　first　flush　of　dawn　showed　the　towers　of　Saint…　Leonard　in　the　distance。　At　that　moment　Marie　was　saying　to　herself：　〃I　am　going　to　my　death。〃
  As　they　ascended　the　first　hill　the　lovers　had　the　same　thought；　they　left　the　carriage　and　mounted　the　rise　on　foot；　in　memory　of　their　first　meeting。　When　Marie　took　the　young　man's　arm　she　thanked　him　by　a　smile　for　respecting　her　silence；　then；　as　they　reached　the　summit　of　the　plateau　and　looked　at　Fougeres；　she　threw　off　her　reverie。
  〃Don't　come　any　farther；〃　she　said；　〃my　authority　cannot　save　you　from　the　Blues　to…day。〃
  Montauran　showed　some　surprise。　She　smiled　sadly　and　pointed　to　a　block　of　granite；　as　if　to　tell　him　to　sit　down；　while　she　herself　stood　before　him　in　a　melancholy　attitude。　The　rending　emotions　of　her　soul　no　longer　permitted　her　to　play　a　part。　At　that　moment　she　would　have　knelt　on　red…hot　coals　without　feeling　them　any　more　than　the　marquis　had　felt　the　fire…brand　he　had　taken　in　his　hand　to　prove　the　strength　of　his　passion。　It　was　not　until　she　had　contemplated　her　lover　with　a　look　of　the　deepest　anguish　that　she　said　to　him；　at　last：
  〃All　that　you　have　suspected　of　me　is　true。〃
  The　marquis　started。
  〃Ah！　I　pray　you；〃　she　said；　clasping　her　hands；　〃listen　to　me　without　interruption。　I　am　indeed　the　daughter　of　the　Duc　de　Verneuil；but　his　natural　daughter。　My　mother；　a　Demoiselle　de　Casteran；　who　became　a　nun　to　escape　the　reproaches　of　her　family；　expiated　her　fault　by　fifteen　years　of　sorrow；　and　died　at　Seez；　where　she　was　abbess。　On　her　death…bed　she　implored；　for　the　first　time　and　only　for　me；　the　help　of　the　man　who　had　betrayed　her；　for　she　knew　she　was　leaving　me　without　friends；　without　fortune；　without　a　future。　The　duke　accepted　the　charge；　and　took　me　from　the　roof　of　Francine's　mother；　who　had　hitherto　taken　care　of　me；　perhaps　he　liked　me　because　I　was　beautiful；　possibly　I　reminded　him　of　his　youth。　He　was　one　of　those　great　lords　of　the　old　regime；　who　took　pride　in　showing　how　they　could　get　their　crimes　forgiven　by　committing　them　with　grace。　I　will　say　no　more；　he　was　my　father。　But　let　me　explain　to　you　how　my　life　in　Paris　injured　my　soul。　The　society　of　the　Duc　de　Verneuil；　to　which　he　introduced　me；　was　bitten　by　that　scoffing　philosophy　about　which　all　France　was　then　enthusiastic　because　it　was　wittily　professed。　The　brilliant　conversations　which　charmed　my　ear　were　marked　by　subtlety　of　perception　and　by　witty　contempt　for　all　that　was　true　and　spiritual。　Men　laughed　at　sentiments；　and　pictured　them　all　the　better　because　they　did　not　feel　them；　their　satirical　epigrams　were　as　fascinating　as　the　light…hearted　humor　with　which　they　could　put　a　whole　adventure　into　a　word；　and　yet　they　had　sometimes　too　much　wit；　and　wearied　women　by　making　love　an　art；　and　not　a　matter　of　feeling。　I　could　not　resist　the　tide。　And　yet　my　soul　was　too　ardentforgive　this　pridenot　to　feel　that　their　minds　had　withered　their　hearts；　and　the　life　I　led　resulted　in　a　perpetual　struggle　between　my　natural　feelings　and　beliefs　and　the　vicious　habits　of　mind　which　I　there　contracted。　Several　superior　men　took　pleasure　in　developing　in　me　that　liberty　of　thought　and　contempt　for　public　opinion　which　do　tear　from　a　woman　her　modesty　of　soul；　robbed　of　which　she　loses　her　charm。　Alas！　my　subsequent　misfortunes　have　failed　to　lessen　the　faults　I　learned　through　opulence。　My　father；〃　she　continued；　with　a　sigh；　〃the　Duc　de　Verneuil；　died；　after　duly　recognizing　me　as　his　daughter　and　making　provisions　for　me　by　his　will；　which　considerably　reduced　the　fortune　of　my　brother；　his　legitimate　son。　I　found　myself　one　day　without　a　home　and　without　a　protector。　My　brother　contested　the　will　which　made　me　rich。　Three　years　of　my　late　life　had　developed　my　vanity。　By　satisfying　all　my　fancies　my　father　had　created　in　my　nature　a　need　of　luxury；　and　given　me　habits　of　self…indulgence　of　which　my　own　mind；　young　and　artless　as