after, was drawn in safely.

"And now," I said, "let us be off. If you are wise you will never set
foot here again."

She laughed sadly, and we went out together into the lonely Passage of
Pity. It was growing dark now, and threading our way through the
labyrinth of streets we reached the river face. Here La Marmotte
stopped, and abruptly wished me farewell; but I stayed her, thanking
her from my heart for her good deed, and ventured, with the utmost
diffidence, to say that if she were in need of a friend she could count
on me. She understood.

"Nay, monsieur," she said, "for me there is but one way, and that is to
follow the light that has come to me. We will never meet again; and,
perhaps, what I have done to-day may be some recompense for the past.
Farewell!"

Thus we parted; and from that day I never saw or heard of her again. I
may mention that when things changed with me I made every effort to
discover her, but without avail; and, when, some time after, Torquato
Trotto paid the penalty of his crimes, he asserted, even under the
rack, that he knew nothing of her, and that she had fled from him.
This I believe to be truth, and can only hope that the poor,
storm-tossed life found a haven of refuge at last.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE MASQUERADE

That night it was my duty to take the guard outside the Queen's
apartments. Circumstances had made it impossible for me to have speech
with De Lorgnac, and Le Brusquet was nowhere to be seen, so that I was
unable to inform them of what I knew.

Full of the discovery I had made, and with my thoughts running on the
danger that threatened mademoiselle, I paced backward and forward
before the door leading into the ante-room, my long shadow keeping me
ghostly company. It was the night of the great masque given by the
King in honour of his Diane's birthday--the masque in which she was to
flaunt in the Crown diamonds--and, as may be imagined, there was not a
soul to be seen in the gallery that curved before me into dim,
mysterious gloom.

Now and again I thought I heard a laugh and the sound of subdued voices
from within the ante-room; but, guessing that the mice were probably
playing within, I paid no heed, and, being a little tired, seated
myself on the coffer that lay in the shadow near the door, and stared
moodily into the silence, absorbed in my own sombre reflections.

On a sudden I heard the patter of footsteps--hasty, rapid footsteps
coming towards me al