d his mind
in a great measure. He was not, however, completely reassured until he
heard for certain that the Duke had become a helpless maniac, and that
the doctor, having given up all hopes of his patient's recovery, had
discontinued his visits to the Chateau. As soon as he had heard that
Norbert's marriage had been so soon followed by his father's death, he
imagined that every cloud had disappeared from the sky. All danger now
seemed at an end, and he recalled with glee that he had in his strong
box the promissory notes, signed by Norbert, to the amount of twenty
thousand francs, which he could demand at any moment, now that Norbert
was the reigning lord of Champdoce. The first step he took was to hang
about the neighborhood of Laurebourg, for he thought that some
lucky chance would surely favor him with an opportunity for a little
conversation with Mademoiselle Diana. For several days in succession
he was unsuccessful, but at last he was delighted at seeing her alone,
walking in the direction of Bevron. Without her suspecting it, he
followed her until the road passed through a small plantation, when he
came up and addressed her.

"What do you want with me?" asked she angrily.

He made no direct reply; but after apologizing for his boldness, he
began to offer his congratulations upon her approaching marriage, which
was now the talk of the whole neighborhood, and which pleased him much,
as M. de Mussidan was in every way superior to--

"Is that all you have to say to me?" asked Diana, interrupting his
string of words.

As she turned from him, he had the audacity to lay his hand upon the
edge of her jacket.

"I have more to say," said he, "if you will honor me with your
attention. Something about--you can guess what."

"About whom or what?" asked she, making no effort to hide her supreme
contempt.

He smiled, glanced around to see that no one was within hearing, and
then said in a low voice,--

"It is about the bottle of poison."

She recoiled, as though some venomous reptile had started up in front of
her.

"What do you mean?" cried she. "How dare you speak to me thus?"

All his servile manner had now returned to him, and he uttered a string
of complaints in a whining tone of voice. She had played him a most
unfair trick, and had stolen a certain little glass bottle from his
office; and if anything had leaked out, his head would have paid the
penalty of a crime in which he had no hand. He was quite ill,