to his kindness.'

'How glad I am, Monseigneur,' said she quickly, 'at length to undeceive
you!'

A knock at the door here interrupted the Marquise. It was a servant with
a letter from Versailles that demanded immediate attention.

'Here is more of it, Monseigneur,' cried she passionately. 'Her
Majesty's ears have been outraged by these base calumnies, and I am
summoned to her presence in all haste.'

'I foresaw it, Madame,' said the Bishop, as he arose to withdraw. 'I
wish you a most pleasant journey, Madame la Marquise, and all that can
render the conclusion of it agreeable.

CHAPTER V. A SUDDEN REVERSE

'What is it?--what has happened?' cried Gerald, as he awoke suddenly
from a deep sleep, the first he had enjoyed after some nights of pain.
'Oh, it is you, Count Dillon,' and he tried to smile an apology for his
abruptness.

'Lie down again, my lad, and listen to me, patiently too, if you can,
for I have tidings that might try your patience.'

'I see you _have_ bad news for me,' said Gerald calmly; 'out with it at
once.'

The other made no reply, but turned toward him a look of compassionate
tenderness.

'Come, Count, uncertainty is the worst of penalties--what are your
tidings?'

'Tell me, first of all, Gerald, is it true that you supped on Friday
last at Paris with a party, at the house of a certain Monsieur du
Saillant, and there met Desmoulins, Rivarol, and several others of that
party?'

'Yes, quite true.'

'And they drank patriotic toasts--which means that they pledged bumpers
in insult to the court?'

'They made an attempt to do so, which I resisted. I said that I would
not sit there and hear one word to disparage my sovereign or his cause,
on which one of them cried out, "And who are you who dares to prescribe
to us how we are to speak, or what to toast?" "He is _my_ friend," said
Du Saillant, "and that is enough." "Nay," broke in the others, "it is
not enough. We have placed our necks in a halter, if this youth should
turn out a spy of the court, or a Garde du Corps." "And I am a Garde du
Corps," said I. "_Parbleu!_" said one, "I know him well now; he is the
fellow they call the Ecossais--the Queen's minion." With that I struck
him across the face--the others fell upon me, and pressed me toward the
window, I believe, to throw me out; at all events there was a severe
struggle, from which I escaped, roughly handled and bruised, into an
adjoining room. Here they followed and arranged t