Marianne again, to urge Guy to further
confidences. And, then, he felt that he would rather not have come, not
have seen her again, not have gone to Sabine's.

"Well, so be it! Lord Lindsay is right, I will go."

The following morning, Guy de Lissac found in his mail a brief note,
sealed with the arms of the duke, with the motto: _Hasta la muerte_.

Jose wrote to him as he was leaving Paris:

"You are perhaps right. I am a little intoxicated with
_Parisine_. I am going to London to visit a friend and if I
ever recount my voyages there, it will only be to the
serious-minded members of the Geographical Society. There, at
least, there is no 'danger.' With many thanks and until we meet
again.

"Your friend,
"J. DE R----"

"Plague on it," said Lissac, who read the letter three times, "but our
dear duke is badly bitten! _Ohime!_ Marianne Kayser has had a firm and
sure tooth this time!--We shall see!--" he added, as he broke the seal
of another letter, containing a request for a loan on the part of
someone richer than himself.

VII

The soiree at Sabine Marsy's had caused Vaudrey to feel something like
the enervation that follows intoxication. The next morning he awoke with
his head heavy, after a night of feverish sleep, interrupted by sudden
starts, wherein he saw that pretty, fair girl standing before him
devouring sherbet and smiling gayly.

Every morning since he had been at the ministry, Sulpice had experienced
a joyous sensation at finding himself again on his feet and rejoicing in
life. He paced about his apartments, feeling a sort of physical delight,
opening his window and looking out on the commonplace garden through
which so many ministers had passed and which he called, as so many
before him had done: _My garden_. His thoughts took him back then to
that little convent garden at Grenoble. What a distance he had travelled
since then! and how good it was to live!

That morning, on the contrary, the black and bare trees in the garden
appeared to him to be very gloomy. He felt morose. He had been awakened
early so that the despatches from the provinces might be laid before
him. The information in them was quite insignificant. But then his
spirit was not present. Once again he was at Sabine's, beside Marianne,
so lovely in her sky-blue gown, and with her wavy locks.

If he had been free, he would have gladly sought the opportunity to see
that wom