ounsellor--and comforter," he retorted, with perilous suggestion.

Time would move on, and Madame Chalice might forget that wild remark,
but she never would forgive it, and she never wished to do so. The
insolent, petty, provincial Seigneur!

"Monsieur De la Riviere," she returned, with cold dignity, "you cannot
live long enough to atone for that impertinence."

"I beg your pardon, madame," he returned earnestly, awed by the look
in her face; for she was thoroughly aroused. "I came to stop a
filibustering expedition, to save the credit of the place where I was
born, where my people have lived for generations."

She made a quick, deprecatory gesture. "You saw me enter here," she
said, "and you thought to discover treason of some kind--Heaven knows
what a mind like yours may imagine! You find me giving better counsel to
His Highness than you could ever hope to give--out of a better heart
and from a better understanding. You have been worse than intrusive;
you have been rash and stupid. You call His Highness filibuster and
impostor. I assure you it is my fondest hope that Prince Valmond
Napoleon will ever count me among his friends, in spite of all his
enemies."

She turned her shoulder on him, and took Valmond's hand with a
pronounced obeisance, saying, "Adieu, sire" (she was never sorry she had
said it), and passed from the room. Valmond was about to follow her.

"Thank you, no; I will go to my carriage alone," she said, and he did
not insist.

When she had gone he stood holding the door open, and looking at De la
Riviere. He was very pale; there was a menacing fire in his eyes. The
young Seigneur was ready for battle also.

"I am occupied, monsieur," said Valmond meaningly.

"I have come to warn you--"

"The old song; I am occupied, monsieur."

"Charlatan!" said De la Riviere, and took a step angrily towards him,
for he was losing command of himself.

At that moment Parpon, who had been outside in the hall for a half-hour
or more, stepped into the room, edged between the two, and looked up
with a wicked, mocking leer at the young Seigneur.

"You have twenty-four hours to leave Pontiac," cried De la Riviere, as
he left the room.

"My watch keeps different time, monsieur," said Valmond coolly, and
closed the door.

CHAPTER XVI

From the depths where Elise was cast, it was not for her to see that her
disaster had brought light to others; that out of the pitiful confusion
of her life had come orde