iest, the gentlest of her
sex? Ah, why do you render life so dear to me at the moment I must
peril it?"

"Believe me," answered Heloise, drying her tears, "that I would not
hold you back, when honor beckons you. It is to such hands as yours
that the honor of the golden lilies is committed. I am the daughter of
a soldier, and though these tears confess my sex, I honor bravery when
it is displayed in a good cause. I honor the soldier as much as I
detest the duellist."

"Then listen to one whose sword was never stained with his brother's
blood. I had thought to go to the field with my secret concealed in my
own breast, but something impels me to speak out. I love you,
Heloise--I have dared to love--to adore you."

The fair girl blushed till her very temples were crimsoned over with
eloquent blood. The young soldier threw himself at her feet, and
taking the fair hand she abandoned to him, covered it with kisses; nor
did he rise till he had received confirmation of his new-born hopes,
and knew that, for good or ill, the heart of Heloise was irrevocably
his. Finally, he was compelled to tear himself away, but he carried
to his tent a feeling of delicious joy which steeled his mind against
all thought of the chances of the morrow.

The moments passed away in delirious revery, but at length he was
interrupted by St. Prix.

The count was in the worst of humors--his brow was dark with passion,
and he threw himself into a seat, and flung his plumed hat on the
table with an energy that betrayed the violence of his emotions.

"What's the matter, Raoul?" asked Henri. "Has Saxe changed his plans?
Do we fall back instead of advancing?"

"No, thank God! there will be plenty of throat-cutting to-morrow, and
the French Guards have the post of honor."

"Thank Heaven!" exclaimed Henri, joyfully.

"You seem in excellent spirits to-night, Captain Henri de Grandville."

"I wish I could say as much of you, Captain Raoul de St. Prix."

"Tell me the cause of your felicity."

"Enlighten me respecting your ill humor."

"Willingly, on condition that you will explain your satisfaction."

"Agreed."

"Well, then--you know the marked preference--marked preference, I
say--always shown me by Mademoiselle Heloise de Clairville."

"I will not dispute with you--go on."

"You must have been blinded by absurd hopes not to have noticed it;
every officer in the army looked to me as the _futur_ of the lady.
Well, sir, encouraged and led on b