did not miss a word."

"If you heard me," said Jeanne, "you know that everything separates us.
My duty, yours, and my will."

"A will which is enforced, and against which your heart rebels. A will to
which I will not submit."

As he spoke, Serge advanced toward her, trying to seize her in his arms.

"Take care!" replied Jeanne. "Micheline and my husband are there. You
must be mad to forget it. If you come a step farther I shall call out."

"Call, then!" cried Serge, clasping her in his arms.

Jeanne tried to free herself from him, but could not.

"Serge," she said, paling with mingled anguish and rapture in the arms of
him whom she adored, "what you are doing is cowardly and base!"

A kiss stopped the words on her lips. Jeanne felt herself giving way. She
made a supreme effort.

"I won't, Serge!" she stammered. "Have mercy!"

Tears of shame rolled down her face.

"No! you belong to me. The other, your husband, stole you from me. I take
you back. I love you!"

The young woman fell on a seat.

Serge repeated,

"I love you! I love you! I love you!"

A fearful longing took possession of Jeanne. She no longer pushed away
the arms which clasped her. She placed her hands on Serge's shoulder, and
with a deep sigh gave herself up.

A profound silence reigned around. Suddenly a sound of approaching voices
roused them, and at the same moment the heavy curtain which separated the
room from the adjoining drawing-room was lifted. A shadow appeared on the
threshold, as they were still in each other's arms. The stifled
exclamation, "O God!" followed by a sob of agony, resounded. The door
curtain fell, surrounding with its folds the unknown witness of that
terrible scene.

Jeanne had risen, trying to collect her ideas. A sudden light dawned on
her mind; she realized in a moment the extent of her crime, and uttering
a cry of horror and despair, she escaped, followed by Serge, through the
gallery.

Then the heavy curtain was lifted again, and tottering, livid, almost
dead, Micheline entered the room. Pierre, serious and cold, walked behind
her. The Princess, feeling tired, had come into the house. Chance had led
her there to witness this proof of misfortune and treason.

Both she and Delarue looked at each other, silent and overwhelmed. Their
thoughts whirled through their brains with fearful rapidity. In a moment
they looked back on their existence. He saw the pale betrothed of whom he
had dreamed as a wife, who h