explained in a word or two to him in a low voice. On hearing
my opinion, a quick, slight shudder ran through him from head to foot
like a lightning flash; I fancied I could see him turn pale under his
black velvet mask.

"'The waiting-woman took advantage of a moment when he was bending in
despair over the dying woman, who had turned blue, to point to some
glasses of lemonade standing on a table, at the same time shaking her
head negatively. I understood that I was not to drink anything in spite
of the dreadful thirst that parched my throat. The lover was thirsty
too; he took an empty glass, poured out some fresh lemonade, and drank
it off.

"'At this moment the lady had a violent attack of pain, which showed
me that now was the time to operate. I summoned all my courage, and in
about an hour had succeeded in delivering her of the child, cutting
it up to extract it. The Spaniard no longer thought of poisoning me,
understanding that I had saved the mother's life. Large tears fell on
his cloak. The woman uttered no sound, but she trembled like a hunted
animal, and was bathed in sweat.

"'At one horribly critical moment she pointed in the direction of her
husband's room; he had turned in his sleep, and she alone had heard the
rustle of the sheets, the creaking of the bed or of the curtain. We all
paused, and the lover and the waiting-woman, through the eyeholes of
their masks, gave each other a look that said, "If he wakes, shall we
kill him?"

"'At that instant I put out my hand to take the glass of lemonade the
Spaniard had drunk of. He, thinking that I was about to take one of the
full glasses, sprang forward like a cat, and laid his long dagger over
the two poisoned goblets, leaving me his own, and signing to me to drink
what was left. So much was conveyed by this quick action, and it was
so full of good feeling, that I forgave him his atrocious schemes for
killing me, and thus burying every trace of this event.

"'After two hours of care and alarms, the maid and I put her mistress
to bed. The lover, forced into so perilous an adventure, had, to provide
means in case of having to fly, a packet of diamonds stuck to paper;
these he put into my pocket without my knowing it; and I may add
parenthetically, that as I was ignorant of the Spaniard's magnificent
gift, my servant stole the jewels the day after, and went off with a
perfect fortune.

"'I whispered my instructions to the waiting-woman as to the further
car