eur; I am guilty of nothing.
Your feelings of irritation are aroused against me; I shall say no
more."

"Oh, oh!" said Joyeuse, gradually working himself into a passion, "you
have been the ruin of my brother, and you fancy you can justify yourself
with this irritating majesty of demeanor. No, no! the steps I have taken
must show you what my intentions are. I am serious, I assure you, and
you see by the trembling of my hands and lips that you will need some
good arguments to move me."

The hospitaliere rose.

"If you come here to insult a woman," she said, with the same calm
self-possession, "insult me, monsieur; if, however, you have come to
induce me to change my opinion, you are wasting your time, and can
withdraw."

"Ah! you are no human creature!" exclaimed Joyeuse, exasperated. "You
are possessed by an evil spirit."

"I have answered already; I will reply no further. Since that is not
sufficient, I shall withdraw." And the hospitaliere advanced toward the
door.

Joyeuse stopped her.

"One moment! I have sought you for too long a period to allow you to
leave me in this manner; and, since I have succeeded in meeting with
you--since your insensibility has confirmed me in the idea which had
already occurred to me, that you are possessed by the foul fiend
himself, sent hither by the enemy of mankind to destroy my brother--I
wish to see that face whereon the bottomless pit has written its
blackest traces; I wish to behold the fire of that fatal gaze which
bewilders men's minds. Avaunt thee, Satan!"

And Joyeuse, making the sign of the cross with one hand, as if he were
exorcising her, with the other tore aside the veil which covered the
face of the hospitaliere; the latter, silent and impassible, free from
anger or ill-feeling, fixed her sweet and gentle gaze upon him who had
so cruelly outraged her, and said: "Oh! Monsieur le Duc, what you have
just done is unworthy a gentleman."

Joyeuse's heart was smitten by her reply.

"Oh! madame," he murmured after a long silence, "you are indeed
beautiful, and truly must Henri have loved you. Surely Heaven can only
have bestowed upon you loveliness such as you possess to cast it like
perfume upon an existence devoted to your own."

"Monsieur, have you not conversed with your brother? or, if you have
done so, he cannot have thought it expedient to make you his confidant;
had not that been the case, he would have told you that I have done what
you say--I have loved;