would have broken
forth, had not the Count without giving his nephew time to speak said
quickly:

"I leave you with the Countess. I hope that your respect and affection
for her will cause you to lend more weight to her counsels than you
are disposed to give to mine."

As if fearing that he might have tried the young man's temper too far,
or that he did not wish to prolong a useless scene, the Count left the
room. De Vaudrey was alone with his Aunt.

The Countess went up to the noble-looking young man, and taking his
hand in hers, asked in a sweet, winning voice:

"Who is this woman you love? What obstacle prevents the avowal of your
passion? If it is only a matter of fortune, take mine; it is all at
your disposal, and I will give it to you cheerfully."

"Ah, where shall I find a heart like yours?" exclaimed the Chevalier
in a voice trembling with emotion. "You have divined my secret. I
adore a young girl as charming as she is pure. Yet never have I dared
to whisper my passion!"

"Her name--her family?" asked the Countess eagerly.

"She was born of the people," said de Vaudrey proudly, yet tenderly.
"She is an orphan and lives by the labor of her hands."

The Countess, who had never for a moment imagined such an answer to
her question, was surprised, and she showed plainly that grief was
mingled with her surprise.

"And you would make such a woman your wife?" she asked reproachfully.

"Do not judge her until you have seen her," entreated the Chevalier.
"Consent to see her, and then advise me."

The young man took the Countess's hands in his, and looked imploringly
into her face.

But his Aunt turned away from him with a gesture of sorrow.

"In such a marriage," she said sadly, "there can be no happiness for
you, and for her, only misery. Alas! I know too well the result of
those unequal unions. You must renounce her. You owe obedience to your
family and your King." She burst into a flood of tears.

Diffidently the young man sought to comfort the Countess whose emotion
seemed to have its spring in some hidden sorrow. He promised at last
for her sake to consider again the horribly odious proposal of a State
marriage, and drying her tears as well as he could, went his way, a
victim of torn desires and intensest anguish....

CHAPTER IX

FRIENDS OF THE PEOPLE

The giant stranger who had talked to Henriette and made friends with
de Vaudrey was Jacques Danton. He and his colleague, Maximilien
Rob