wer to
commit me, if so you will. Come, Madame; it grows on toward night.
Which is it to be? A Montbazon's word is as good as a king's louis."

"Once it has been given!"

As a cat leaps, as the shadow of a bird passes, madame's hand flew out
and grasped the projecting end of the paper. The short struggle was
nothing; the red marks on her wrists were painless. Swiftly she rose
and stepped, back, breathing quickly but with triumph. He made as
though to leap, but in that moment she had smoothed out the crumpled
paper. A glance, and it fluttered to the table. Her laughter was very
close to tears.

"Monsieur le Vicomte, what a clever wooer you are!" She fled toward the
door, opened it, and was gone.

The vicomte sat down.

"Truly, that woman must be mine!"

He took up the paper, smoothed it, and laughed. The paper was totally
blank.

CHAPTER XXII

D'HEROUVILLE THREATENS AND MADAME FINDS A DROLL BOOK

The next morning the vicomte went to the hospital to inquire into the
state of the Comte d'Herouville's health. He found that gentleman
walking back and forth in the ward. There was little of the invalid
about him save for the pallor on his cheeks, which provided proof that
his blood was not yet of its accustomed thickness. At the sight of the
vicomte he neither frowned nor smiled; the expression on his face
remained unchanged, but he ceased his pacing. The two men contemplated
each other, and the tableau lasted for a minute.

"Well, Monsieur?" said D'Herouville, calmly.

The vicomte was genuinely surprised at the strides toward completeness
which D'Herouville had made. An ordinary man would still have been
either in bed or in a chair. But none of this surprise appeared on the
Vicomte's face. He had come with a purpose, and he went at it directly.

"Count," he replied, "you and I have been playing hide and seek in the
woods, needlessly and purposelessly."

"I scarce comprehend your words or your presence."

"I will explain at once. Madame de Brissac has made sorry fools of us
all. She is here in Quebec."

"What?" The pain caused by the sudden intake of breath stooped
D'Herouville's shoulders.

"I have the honor, then, of bringing you the news? Yes," easily,
"Madame de Brissac is in Quebec. Why, is as yet unknown to me."

"What is your purpose in bringing me this lie?" asked D'Herouville,
recovering. "I have been surrounded by lies ever since I stepped foot
in Rochelle. I shall k