they
looked into each other's faces. The General's dumb gesture tried to say,
"Let us carry her away!"

"Quickly" shouted Ronquerolles, "the procession of nuns is leaving the
church. You will be caught!"

With magical swiftness of movement, prompted by an intense desire, the
dead woman was carried into the convent parlour, passed through the
window, and lowered from the walls before the Abbess, followed by the
nuns, returned to take up Sister Theresa's body. The sister left in
charge had imprudently left her post; there were secrets that she longed
to know; and so busy was she ransacking the inner room, that she heard
nothing, and was horrified when she came back to find that the body was
gone. Before the women, in their blank amazement, could think of making
a search, the Duchess had been lowered by a cord to the foot of the
crags, and Montriveau's companions had destroyed all traces of their
work. By nine o'clock that morning there was not a sign to show that
either staircase or wire-cables had ever existed, and Sister Theresa's
body had been taken on board. The brig came into the port to ship her
crew, and sailed that day.

Montriveau, down in the cabin, was left alone with Antoinette
de Navarreins. For some hours it seemed as if her dead face was
transfigured for him by that unearthly beauty which the calm of death
gives to the body before it perishes.

"Look here," said Ronquerolles when Montriveau reappeared on deck,
"_that_ was a woman once, now it is nothing. Let us tie a cannon ball
to both feet and throw the body overboard; and if ever you think of her
again, think of her as of some book that you read as a boy."

"Yes," assented Montriveau, "it is nothing now but a dream."

"That is sensible of you. Now, after this, have passions; but as for
love, a man ought to know how to place it wisely; it is only a woman's
last love that can satisfy a man's first love."

ADDENDUM

Note: The Duchesse de Langeais is the second part of a trilogy.
Part one is entitled Ferragus and part three is The Girl with
the Golden Eyes. In other addendum references all three stories
are usually combined under the title The Thirteen.

The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.

Blamont-Chauvry, Princesse de
Madame Firmiani
The Lily of the Valley

Grandlieu, Duc Ferdinand de
The Gondreville Mystery
A Bachelor's Establishment
Modeste Migno