btful in what direction the scene
would next open to me; my main dependence being upon M. de Rosny's
promise that he would make my fortune his own care. Tired of the Court
at Blois, and the atmosphere of intrigue and treachery which pervaded
it, and with which I hoped I had now done, I was still at a loss to
see how I could recross the Loire in face of the Vicomte de Turenne's
enmity. I might have troubled myself much more with speculating upon
this point had I not found--in close connection with it--other and more
engrossing food for thought in the capricious behaviour of Mademoiselle
de la Vire.

To that behaviour it seemed to me that I now held the clue. I suspected
with as much surprise as pleasure that only one construction could be
placed upon it--a construction which had strongly occurred to me on
catching sight of her face when she intervened between me and the king.

Tracing the matter back to the moment of our meeting in the antechamber
at St. Jean d'Angely, I remembered the jest which Mathurine had uttered
at our joint expense. Doubtless it had dwelt in mademoiselle's mind,
and exciting her animosity against me had prepared her to treat me with
contumely when, contrary to all probability, we met again, and she found
herself placed in a manner in my hands. It had inspired her harsh words
and harsher looks on our journey northwards, and contributed with her
native pride to the low opinion I had formed of her when I contrasted
her with my honoured mother.

But I began to think it possible that the jest had worked in another
way as well, by keeping me before her mind and impressing upon her the
idea--after my re-appearance at Chize more particularly--that our fates
were in some way linked. Assuming this, it was not hard to understand
her manner at Rosny when, apprised that I was no impostor, and
regretting her former treatment of me, she still recoiled from the
feelings which she began to recognise in her own breast. From that time,
and with this clue, I had no difficulty in tracing her motives, always
supposing that this suspicion, upon which I dwelt with feelings of
wonder and delight, were well founded.

Middle-aged and grizzled, with the best of my life behind me I had
never dared to think of her in this way before. Poor and comparatively
obscure, I had never raised my eyes to the wide possessions said to be
hers. Even now I felt myself dazzled and bewildered by the prospect so
suddenly unveiled. I could