illing the chevalier. By heavens! I cannot allow that! Too much blood,
oh my God! has already been spilled for me."

"Blood! oh, do not fear that; the chevalier will run no danger. In spite
of my desire to avert the danger that threatened from ourselves, I would
never have exposed this generous man to certain destruction."

"But, unhappy woman," cried the duke, "you do not know the terrible
importance of the secret of state which the chevalier is now possessed
of?"

"My God! what do you mean?"

"They are capable of killing him."

"Oh, what have I done? Where are you going?" cried the young wife,
seeing the duke preparing to leave the room.

"I am going to join them and save this unfortunate man. I will take some
blacks with me. The Gascon has hardly an hour's advance of me."

"James, I implore you, do not expose yourself."

"What! cowardly abandon this man who has devoted himself to me? I give
him up to the resentment of William's emissary? never! Ah, you do not
know, unhappy child, that certain sacrifices impose on one gratitude as
dolorous as remorse. Go, I pray you, tell Mirette to order some slaves
to be in readiness to follow me at once. Thanks to the tide, the
chevalier cannot put to sea before daybreak, I can then overtake him."

"But this emissary is capable of anything! if he sees you come to the
aid of the chevalier, he will understand, perhaps, and then----"

"That it is not James of Monmouth, but the mulatto filibuster, who is on
his track. Beside, I have faced other dangers than these, I believe."

So saying, the duke entered a small room connected with his apartments.
There he found all that was necessary for his disguise. Left alone,
Angela gave herself up to the most cruel regrets. She had not supposed
that the consequences of the mistake into which the Gascon had led
Rutler could be so fatal. She feared also that Monmouth would be
recognized in spite of his disguise. In the midst of her distress she
heard a sudden violent knock at the outer door of the apartment where
she was, apparently rigorously closed to all the servants in the house.

Angela ran to this door and saw Mirette. The mulattress, with a
frightened air, said to Angela that Father Griffen sent an imperative
request to enter, having the most important matters to confide to her.

The order was given to admit him at once into the reception hall on the
ground floor. At the same moment Monmouth came out of his room
completely disg