e two witnesses of this birth of passion she seemed to
be rushing onward with fearful rapidity. Francine knew Marie as well as
Madame du Gua knew the marquis, and their experience of the past made
them await in silence some terrible finale. It was, indeed, not long
before the end came to the drama which Mademoiselle de Verneuil had
called, without perhaps imagining the truth of her words, a tragedy.

When the travellers were about three miles beyond Mayenne they heard
a horseman riding after them with great rapidity. When he reached the
carriage he leaned towards it to look at Mademoiselle de Verneuil,
who recognized Corentin. That offensive personage made her a sign of
intelligence, the familiarity of which was deeply mortifying; then he
turned away, after chilling her to the bone with a look full of some
base meaning. The young _emigre_ seemed painfully affected by this
circumstance, which did not escape the notice of his pretended mother;
but Marie softly touched him, seeming by her eyes to take refuge in his
heart as thought it were her only haven. His brow cleared at this proof
of the full extent of his mistress's attachment, coming to him as it
were by accident. An inexplicable fear seemed to have overcome
her coyness, and her love was visible for a moment without a veil.
Unfortunately for both of them, Madame du Gua saw it all; like a miser
who gives a feast, she seemed to count the morsels and begrudge the
wine.

Absorbed in their happiness the lovers arrived, without any
consciousness of the distance they had traversed, at that part of the
road which passed through the valley of Ernee. There Francine noticed
and showed to her companions a number of strange forms which seemed to
move like shadows among the trees and gorse that surrounded the fields.
When the carriage came within range of these shadows a volley of
musketry, the balls of which whistled above their heads, warned the
travellers that the shadows were realities. The escort had fallen into a
trap.

Captain Merle now keenly regretted having adopted Mademoiselle de
Verneuil's idea that a rapid journey by night would be a safe one,--an
error which had led him to reduce his escort from Mayenne to sixty men.
He at once, under Gerard's orders, divided his little troop into two
columns, one on each side of the road, which the two officers marched
at a quick step among the gorse hedges, eager to meet the assailants,
though ignorant of their number. The Blue