rapidly stolen behind a door, the Captain had declared that he
would ask permission to exchange, and leave the town immediately, if she
would not grant him a meeting, a real meeting, during her husband's
absence; and so at length she yielded to his importunity.

Just then she was waiting, close against the wall, with a beating heart,
trembling at the slightest sound, and when at length she heard somebody
climbing up the wall, she very nearly ran away.

Suppose it were not he, but a thief? But no; someone called out softly,
"_Matilda_!" and when she replied, "_Etienne_!" a man jumped on to the
path with a crash.

It was he,--and what a kiss!

For a long time they remained in each other's arms, with united lips.
But suddenly a fine rain began to fall, and the drops from the leaves
fell on to her neck and made her start. Whereupon he said:

"Matilda, my adored one, my darling, my angel, let us go indoors. It is
twelve o'clock, we can have nothing to fear; please let us go to your
room."

"No, dearest; I am too frightened."

But he held her in his arms, and whispered in her ear:

"Your servants sleep on the third floor, looking on to the Square, and
your room, on the first, looks on to the garden, so nobody can hear us.
I love you so that I wish to love you entirely, from head to foot." And
he embraced her vehemently.

She resisted still, frightened and even ashamed. But he put his arms
round her, lifted her up, and carried her off under the rain, which was
by this time descending in torrents.

The door was open; they groped their way upstairs; and when they were in
the room he bolted the door while she lit a match.

Then she fell, half fainting, into a chair, while he knelt down beside
her.

At last, she said, panting:

"No! no! Etienne, please let me remain a virtuous woman; I should be
too angry with you afterwards; and after all, it is so horrid, so
common. Cannot we love each other with a spiritual love only?... Oh!
Etienne!"

But he was inexorable, and then she tried to get up and escape from his
attacks.

In her fright she ran to the bed in order to hide herself behind the
curtains; but it was a dangerous place of refuge, and he followed her.
But in haste he took off his sword too quickly, and it fell on the floor
with a crash.

And then--a prolonged, shrill child's cry came from the next room, the
door of which had remained open.

"You have awakened the child," she whispered, "and perhaps he w