it is nothing to you. No wonder a dairy-maid can supplant you. Why, if I
had a tenth of your beauty--I would have kings and emperors at my feet!"

Valentine la Nina looked at her without smiling, or the least show of
feeling.

"It is likely," she said; "you are free, I am bound. When I receive my
orders, I shall obey them."

"You are a strange creature," cried the Countess. "Orders--who is to
command you? Bound--what chains are there that a suitable marriage will
not break?"

"Those!" said Valentine la Nina, opening her robe at the throat, and
showing to the astonished eyes of the Countess Livia the black crucifix
and the hair shirt of discipline.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THIRD COUNCIL OF WAR

Raphael had not been long in his bedroom when a light knock came to the
door. He looked about him with a startled air, as if there might be
something to be concealed on some table or in some alcove. All seemed in
order to his eye. Reassured, he went on tiptoe and opened the door very
gently, just so far that whoever stood without might enter.

"You?" he said, in a tone of surprise.

And the Jesuit father came into the room, softly smiling at the young
man's surprise.

"Ah," he said, with the most delicate touch of rebuke in his tone, "you
perhaps expected your major-domo, your steward. I forgot that you were a
bachelor and must attend to the morrow's provender, otherwise we should
all starve."

"Ah, no," said the Master of Collioure, "I have a good housekeeper, in
addition to Sebastian Tet, my major-domo. I can sleep on both ears and
know that my guests will not go dinnerless to-morrow. We are poor, but
there is always soup in the cabbage-garden, fish in the sea, mutton on
the hills, and wine everywhere at Collioure--good and strong, the wine
of Roussillon!"

"Faith," said the Jesuit, "but for the Order, a man might do worse than
abide here. 'Tis Egypt and its fleshpots! No wonder you are so fond of
it. And" (here he paused a little to give weight to his words) "Paul
Morella told me to-day that there is even a Cleopatra of the Heavy Locks
up there among the flocks of Goshen! You make your land of bondage
complete indeed!"

The dark face of Raphael grew livid and unlovely, as the eyes of the
smiling priest rested shrewdly upon him.

"Paul Morella meddles with what does not concern him," he answered
brusquely; "that is no safe business in Roussillon, as he will
find--especially when one has a sister of an ungua