xtract 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
care of her patient, and wanted to be gone. The maid remained with her
mistress, which was not very reassuring, but I was on my guard. The
lover made a bundle of the dead infant and the blood-stained clothes,
tying it up tightly, and hiding it under his cloak; he passed his hand
over my eyes as if to bid me to see nothing, and signed to me to take
hold of the skirt of his coat. He went first out of the room, and I
followed, not without a parting glance at my lady of an hour. She,
seeing the Spaniard had gone out, snatched off her mask and showed me an
exquisite face.

"'When I found myself in the garden, in the open air, I confess that I
breathed as if a heavy load had been lifted from my breast. I followed
my guide at a respectful distance, watching his least movement with keen
attention. Having reached the little door, he took my hand and pressed a
seal to my