them as there is of
my doing so. I'd rather lie in my grave than be the wife of any man but
Lucien.'

'If you had seen the pitiful poltroon that he proved himself you would
not say so,' said my uncle coolly. 'You are not yourself at present,
but when you return to your right mind you will be ashamed of having
made this public exposure of your weakness. And now, lieutenant, you
have something to say.'

'My message was to you, Monsieur de Laval,' said the young hussar,
turning his back contemptuously upon my uncle. 'The Emperor has sent me
to bring you to him at once at the camp at Boulogne.'

My heart leapt at the thought of escaping from my uncle.

'I ask nothing better,' I cried.

'A horse and an escort are waiting at the gates.'

'I am ready to start at this instant.'

'Nay, there can be no such very great hurry,' said my uncle. 'Surely
you will wait for luncheon, Lieutenant Gerard.'

'The Emperor's commissions, sir, are not carried out in such a manner,'
said the young hussar sternly. 'I have already wasted too much time.
We must be upon our way in five minutes.'

My uncle placed his hand upon my arm and led me slowly towards the
gateway, through which my cousin Sibylle had already passed.

'There is one matter that I wish to speak to you about before you go.
Since my time is so short you will forgive me if I introduce it without
preamble. You have seen your cousin Sibylle, and though her behaviour
this morning is such as to prejudice you against her, yet I can assure
you that she is a very amiable girl. She spoke just now as if she had
mentioned the plan which I had conceived to you. I confess to you that
I cannot imagine anything more convenient than that we should unite in
order to settle once for all every question as to which branch of the
family shall hold the estates.'

'Unfortunately,' said I, 'there are objections.'

'And pray what are they?'

'The fact that my cousin's hand, as I have just learned, is promised to
another.'

'That need not hinder us,' said he, with a sour smile; 'I will undertake
that he never claims the promise.'

'I fear that I have the English idea of marriage, that it should go by
love and not by convenience. But in any case your scheme is out of the
question, for my own affections are pledged to a young lady in England.'

He looked wickedly at me out of the corners of his grey eyes.

'Think well what you are doing, Louis,' said he, in a sibilant whisper
w