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In　spite　of　his　natural　courage；　Jeannin；　who　found　himself　involved　in　an　affair　from　which　he　had　nothing　to　gain；　and　who　was　not　at　all　desirous　of　being　suspected　of　having　helped　in　an　abduction；　whispered　to　the　commander

〃Faith！　　I　think　our　wisest　course　is　to　consent。〃

De　Jars；　however；　before　replying；　wished　to　try　if　he　could　by　any　chance　throw　his　enemy　off　his　guard　for　an　instant；　so　as　to　take　him　unawares。　　His　hand　still　rested　on　the　hilt　of　his　sword；　motionless；　but　ready　to　draw。

〃There　is　someone　coming　over　yonder；〃　he　cried；〃do　you　hear？〃

〃You　can't　catch　me　in　that　way；〃　said　Quennebert。　　〃Even　were　there　anyone　coming；　I　should　not　look　round；　and　if　you　move　your　hand　all　is　over　with　you。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Jeannin；　〃I　surrender　at　discretionnot　on　my　own　account；　but　out　of　regard　for　my　friend　and　this　woman。　　However；　we　are　entitle　to　some　pledge　of　your　silence。　　This　statement　that　you　demand；　once　written；you　can　ruin　us　tomorrow　by　its　means。〃

〃I　don't　yet　know　what　use　I　shall　make　of　it；　gentlemen。　　Make　up　your　minds；　or　you　will　have　nothing　but　a　dead　body　to　placein　the　doctor's　hands。　　There　is　no　escape　for　you。〃

For　the　first　time　the　wounded　man　faintly　groaned。

〃I　must　save　her！〃　cried　de　Jars；〃I　yield。〃

〃And　I　swear　upon　my　honour　that　I　will　never　try　to　get　this　woman　out　of　your　hands；　and　that　I　will　never　interfere　with　your　conquest。　　Knock；　gentlemen；　and　remain　as　long　as　may　be　necessary。　I　am　patient。　　Pray　to　God；　if　you　will；　that　she　may　recover；　my　one　desire　is　that　she　may　die。〃

They　entered　the　house；　and　Quennebert；　wrapping　himself　once　more　in　his　mantle；　walked　up　and　down　before　it；　stopping　to　listen　from　time　to　time。　　In　about　two　hours　the　commander　and　the　treasurer　came　out　again；　and　handed　him　a　written　paper　in　the　manner　agreed　on。

〃I　greatly　fear　that　it　will　be　a　certificate　of　death；〃　said　de　Jars。

〃Heaven　grant　it；　commander！　　Adieu；　messieurs。〃

He　then　withdrew；　walking　backwards；　keeping　the　two　friends　covered　with　his　pistols　until　he　had　placed　a　sufficient　distance　between　himself　and　them　to　be　out　of　danger　of　an　attack。

The　two　gentlemen　on　their　part　walked　rapidly　away；　looking　round　from　time　to　time；　and　keeping　their　ears　open。　　They　were　very　much　mortified　at　having　been　forced　to　let　a　mere　boor　dictate　to　them；　and　anxious；　especially　de　Jars；　as　to　the　result　of　the　wound。




CHAPTER　VII

On　the　day　following　this　extraordinary　series　of　adventures；　explanations　between　those　who　were　mixed　up　in　them；　whether　as　actors　or　spectators；　were　the　order　of　the　day。　　It　was　not　till　Maitre　Quennebert　reached　the　house　of　the　friend　who　had　offered　to　put　him　up　for　the　night　that　it　first　dawned　on　him；　that　the　interest　which　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges　had　awakened　in　his　mind　had　made　him　utterly　forget　the　bag　containing　the　twelve　hundred　livres　which　he　owed　to　the　generosity　of　the　widow。　　This　money　being　necessary　to　him；　he　went　back　to　her　early　next　morning。　　He　found　her　hardly　recovered　from　her　terrible　fright。　　Her　swoon　had　lasted　far　beyond　the　time　when　the　notary　had　left　the　house；　and　as　Angelique；　not　daring　to　enter　the　bewitched　room；　had　taken　refuge　in　the　most　distant　corner　of　her　apartments；　the　feeble　call　of　the　widow　was　heard　by　no　one。　　Receiving　no　answer；　Madame　Rapally　groped　her　way　into　the　next　room；　and　finding　that　empty；　buried　herself　beneath　the　bedclothes；　and　passed　the　rest　of　the　night　dreaming　of　drawn　swords；　duels；　and　murders。　　As　soon　as　it　was　light　she　ventured　into　the　mysterious　room　once　more；　without　calling　her　servants；　and　found　the　bag　of　crowns　lying　open　on　the　floor；　with　the　coins　scattered　all　around；　the　partition　broken；　and　the　tapestry　hanging　from　it　in　shreds。　　The　widow　was　near　fainting　again：　she　imagined　at　first　she　saw　stains　of　blood　everywhere；　but　a　closer　inspection　having　somewhat　reassured　her；　she　began　to　pick　up　the　coins　that　had　rolled　　to　right　and　left；　and　was　agreeably　surprised　to　　find　the　tale　complete。　　But　how　and　why　had　Maitre　Quennebert　abandoned　them？　　What　had　become　of　him？　　She　had　got　lost　in　the　most　absurd　　suppositions　and　conjectures　when　the　notary　appeared。　　Discovering　from　the　first　words　she　uttered　that　she　was　in　complete　ignorance　of　all　that　had　taken　place；　he　explained　to　her　that　when　the　interview　between　the　chevalier　and　Mademoiselle　de　Guerchi　had　just　at　the　most　interesting　moment　been　so　unceremoniously　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　the　duke；　he　had　become　so　absorbed　in　　watching　them　that　he　had　not　noticed　that　the　partition　was　bending　before　the　pressure　of　his　body；　and　that　just　as　the　duke　drew　his　sword　it　suddenly　gave　way；　and　he；　Quennebert；　being　thus　left　without　support；　tumbled　head　foremost　into　the　next　room；　among　a　perfect　chaos　of　overturned　furniture　and　lamps；　that　almost　before　he　could　rise　he　was　forced　to　draw　in　self…defence；　and　had　to　make　his　escape；　defending　himself　against　both　the　duke　and　the　chevalier；　that　they　had　pursued　him　so　hotly；　that　when　he　found　himself　free　he　was　too　far　from　the　house　and　the　hour　was　too　advanced　to　admit　of　his　returning；　Quennebert　added　innumerable　protestations　of　friendship；　devotion；　and　gratitude；　and；　furnished　with　his　twelve　hundred　crowns；　went　away；　leaving　the　widow　reassured　as　to　his　safety；　but　still　shaken　from　her　fright。

While　the　notary　was　thus　soothing　the　widow；　Angelique　was　exhausting　all　the　expedients　her　trade　had　taught　her　in　the　attempt　to　remove　the　duke's　suspicions。　　She　asserted　she　was　the　victim　of　an　unforeseen　attack　which　nothing　in　her　conduct　had　ever　authorised。　　The　young　Chevalier　de　Moranges　had；　gained　admittance；　she　declared；　under　the　pretext　that　he　brought　her　news　from　the　duke；　the　one　man　who　occupied　her　thoughts；　the　sole　object　of　her　love。　　The　chevalier　had　seen　her　lover；　he　said；　a　few　days　before；　and　by　cleverly　appealing　to　things　back；　he　had　led　her　to　fear　that　the　duke　had　grown　tired　of　her；　and　that　a　new　conquest　was　the　cause　of　his　absence。　　She　had　not　believed　these　insinuations；　although　his　long　silence　would　have　justified　the　most　mortifying　suppositions；　the　most　cruel　doubts。　　At　length　the　chevalier　had　grown　bolder；　and　had　declared　his　passion　for　her；　whereupon　she　had　risen　and　ordered　him　to　leave　her。　　Just　at　that　moment　the　duke　had　entered；　and　had　taken　the　natural　agitation　and　confusion　of　the　chevalier　as　signs　of　her　guilt。　　Some　explanation　was　also　necessary　to　account　for　the　presence　of　the　two　other　visitors　of　whom　he　had　been　told　below　stairs。　　As　he　knew　nothing　at　all　about　them；　the　servant　who　admitted　them　never　having　seen　either　of　them　before；　she　acknowledged　that　two　gentlemen　had　called　earlier　in　the　evening；　that　they　had　refused　to　send　in　their　names；　but　as　they　had　said　they　had　come　to　inquire　about　the　duke；　she　suspected　them　of　having　been　in　league　with　the　chevalier　in　the　attempt　to　ruin　her　reputation；　perhaps　they　had　even　promised　to　help　him　to　carry　her　off；　but　she　knew　nothing　positive　about　them　or　their　plans。　The　duke；　contrary　to　his　wont；　did　not　allow　himself　to　be　easily　convinced　by　these　lame　explanations；　but　unfortunately　for　him　the　lady　knew　how　to　assume　an　attitude　favourable　to　her　purpose。　　She　had　been　induced；　she　said；　with　the　simple　confidence　born　of　love；　to　listen　to　people　who　had　led　her　to　suppose　they　could　give　her　news　of　one　so　dear　to　her　as　the　duke。　　From　this　falsehood　she　proceeded　to　bitter　reproaches：　instead　of　defending　herself；　she　accused　him　of　having　left　her　a　prey　to　anxiety；　she　went　so　far　as　to　imply　that　there　must　be　some　foundation　for　the　hints　of　the　chevalier；　until　at　last　the　duke；　although　he　was　not　guilty　of　the　slightest　infidelity；　and　had　excellent　reasons　to　give　in　justification　of　his　silence；　was　soon　reduced　to　a　penitent　mood；　and　changed　his　threats　into　entreaties　for　forgiveness。　　As　to　the　shriek　he　had　heard；　and　which　he　was　sure　had　been　uttered　by　the　stranger　who　had　forced　his　way　into　her　room　after　the　departure　of　the　others；　she　asserted　that　his　ears　must　have　deceived　him。　Feeling　that　therein　lay　her　best　chance　of　making　things　smooth；　she　exerted　herself　to　convince　him　that　there　was　no　need　for　other　information　than　she　could　give；　and　did　all　she　could　to　blot　the　whole　affair　from　his　memory；　and　her　success　was　such　that　at　the　end　of　the　interview　the　duke　was　more　enamoured　and　more　credulous　than　ever；　and　believing　he　had　done　her　wrong；　he　delivered　himself　up　to　her；　bound　hand　and　foot。　　Two　days　later　he　installed　his　mistress　in　another　dwelling。。。。

Madame　Rapally　also　resolved　to　give　up　her　rooms；　and　removed　to　a　house　that　belonged　to　her；　on　the　Pont　Saint…Michel。

The　commander　took　the　condition　of　Charlotte　Boullenois　very　much　to　heart。　　The　physician　under　whose　care　he　had　placed　her；　after　examining　　her　wounds；　had　not　given　much　hope　of　her　recovery。　　It　was　not　that　de　Jars　was　capable　of　a　lasting　love；　but　Charlotte　was　young　and　possessed　great　beauty；　and　the　　romance　and　mystery　surrounding　their　connection　gave　it　piquancy。　　Charlott