arful of irritating him, and believing him kindly disposed
towards me. 'Then attend to me,' said he; 'you will go to see your
father to-day, and tell him that I am going to send you into the country
for two or three months, to take care of a house which I have just
bought. During your absence I will send your wages to him. To-morrow you
will leave Paris. I will give you a letter of introduction to Madame
Martial, the mother of an honest family of fishers, who live near
Asnieres. You will say you came from the country and nothing more. You
will learn hereafter my motive for this introduction, which is for your
good. Madame Martial will treat you as one of the family, and a medical
man of my acquaintance, Dr. Vincent, will give you all you require in
your situation. You see how kind I am to you!'"

"What a horrible snare!" exclaimed Rodolph; "I see it all now. Believing
that overnight you had listened to some secret, no doubt very important
for him, he desired to get rid of you. He had probably an interest in
deceiving his accomplice by describing you as a female from the country.
What must have been your alarm at this proposal?"

"It was like a violent blow; it quite bereft me of sense. I could not
reply, but looked at M. Ferrand aghast; my head began to wander. I
should, perhaps, have risked my life by telling him that I had overheard
his projects in the morning, when fortunately I recollected the fresh
perils to which such an avowal would expose me. 'You do not understand
me, then?' he said, impatiently. 'Yes, sir,--but,' I added, all
trembling, 'I should prefer not going into the country.' 'Why not? You
will be taken every care of where I send you.' 'No, no, I will not go; I
would rather remain in Paris, and not go away from my family; I would
rather confess all to them, and die with them, if it must be so.' 'You
refuse me, then?' said M. Ferrand, repressing his rage, and looking
fixedly at me. 'Why have you so suddenly changed your mind? Not a minute
ago you accepted my offer.' I saw that if he guessed my motive I was
lost, so I replied that I did not then think that he desired me to leave
Paris and my family. 'But you dishonour your family, you wretched girl!'
he exclaimed, and unable any longer to restrain himself, he seized me by
the arms, and shook me so violently that I fell. 'I will give you until
the day after to-morrow,' he cried, 'and then you shall go from here to
the Martials, or go and inform your father