a thing."

"She, perhaps, hoped by such a step to touch his royal highness and
compel him to an interview, which he has always refused and avoided. To
return to Madame d'Harville: her husband, to whom monseigneur has spoken
of Sarah as she deserved, has begged his wife to see her as seldom as
possible; but the young marquise, seduced by the hypocritical flatteries
of the countess, has gone somewhat counter to the marquis's request.
Some trifling differences have arisen, but not of sufficient importance
to cause or explain the extreme dejection of the marquis."

"Oh, the women! the women! My dear Murphy, I am very sorry that Madame
d'Harville should have formed any acquaintance with this Sarah. So young
and charming a woman must suffer by the contact with such an infernal--"

"Talking of infernal creatures," said Murphy, "here is a communication
relative to Cecily, the unworthy spouse of the excellent David."

"Between ourselves, my dear Murphy, this audacious _metisse_[9] well
deserves the terrible punishment that her husband, our dear black
doctor, has inflicted on the Schoolmaster by monseigneur's order. She
has also shed blood, and her unblushing infamy is astounding."

[9] The Creole issue of a white and quadroon slave. The
_metisses_ only differ from the whites by some peculiarities
hardly perceptible.

"Yet she is so very handsome,--so seductive! A perverted mind within an
attractive outside always inspires me with twofold disgust."

"In this sense Cecily is doubly hateful. But I hope that this despatch
annuls the last orders issued by monseigneur with regard to this
wretched creature."

"On the contrary, baron."

"My lord, then, desires that her escape from the fortress in which she
had been shut up for life may be effected?"

"Yes."

"And that her pretended ravisher should bring her to France,--to Paris?"

"Yes; and, besides, this despatch orders the arrangement to be carried
out as soon as possible, and that Cecily be made to travel hither so
speedily that she may arrive here in a fortnight."

"I am lost in astonishment! Monseigneur has always evinced such a horror
of her!"

"And that horror he still experiences; if possible, stronger than ever."

"And yet he causes her to be sent to him! To be sure, it will always be
easy to apprehend Cecily again, if she does not carry out what he
requires of her. Orders are given to the son of the gaoler of the
fortress of Gerolstein to carry her off