uick eye saw that he marked it.

But if he saw it, he gave no token, made no allusion to the least
doubt or suspicion; on the contrary, he spoke more gayly and kindly
than his wont. He apologized for his untimely intrusion, saying that
her father had come suddenly to speak with them, concerning her
presentation at court, which the king had appointed for the next day,
and wished, late as it was, to see her in the saloon below.

Nothing doubting the truth of his statement, which Raoul's intended
departure rendered probable, Melanie started from her chair, and
telling Rose to wait, for she would back in an instant, hurried out of
the room, and took her way toward the great staircase.

The marquis ordered Rose to light her mistress, for the corridor was
dark; and as the girl went out to do so, a suppressed shriek, and the
faint sounds of a momentary scuffle followed, and then all was still.

A hideous smile flitted across the face of de Ploermel, as he cast
himself heavily into an arm-chair, opposite to the door of the
cupboard in which St. Renan was concealed, and taking up a silver bell
which stood on the table, rung it repeatedly and loudly for a servant.

"Bring wine," he said, as the man entered. "And, hark you, the masons
are at work in the great hall, and have left their tools and materials
for building. Let half a dozen of the grooms come up hither, and bring
with them brick and mortar. I hate the sight of that cupboard, and
before I sleep this night, it shall be built up solid with a good wall
of mason-work; and so here's a health to the rats within it, and a
long life to them!" and he quaffed off the wine in fiendish triumph.

He spoke so loud, and that intentionally, that Raoul heard every word
that he uttered.

But if he hoped thereby to terrify the lover into discovering himself,
and so convicting his fair and innocent wife, the villain was
deceived. Raoul heard every word--knew his fate--knew that one word,
one motion would have saved him; but that one word, one motion would
have destroyed the fair fame of his Melanie.

The memory of the death of that unhappy Lord of Kerguelen came
palpably upon his mind in that dread moment, and the comments of his
dead father.

"I, at least," he muttered, between his hard set teeth, "I at least,
will not be evidence against her. I will die silent--_fiel a la
muerte_!"

And when the brick and mortar were piled by the hands of the
unconscious grooms, and when the f