he
crafty doctor. She no longer believed that it could even be a mistake on
the part of the man of science. She saw clearly in the conduct of this
man, in which detestable hypocrisy was united with rare audacity, and
both served by a skill no less remarkable, that M. Baleinier was, in
fact, the blind instrument of the Princess de Saint-Dizier. From
that moment, she remained silent and calm, but full of dignity; not a
complaint, not a reproach was allowed to pass her lips. She waited. Yet,
though they left her at liberty to walk about (carefully depriving her
of all means of communicating with any one beyond the walls), Adrienne's
situation was harsh and painful, particularly for her, who so loved to
be surrounded by pleasant and harmonious objects. She felt, however,
that this situation could not last long. She did not thoroughly
understand the penetration and action of the laws; but her good sense
taught her, that a confinement of a few days under the plea of some
appearances of insanity, more or less plausible in themselves, might
be attempted, and even executed with impunity; but that it could not be
prolonged beyond certain limits, because, after all, a young lady of
her rank in society could not disappear suddenly from the world, without
inquiries being made on the subject--and the pretence of a sudden attack
of madness would lead to a serious investigation. Whether true or false,
this conviction had restored Adrienne to her accustomed elasticity and
energy of character. And yet she sometimes in vain asked herself the
cause of this attempt on her liberty. She knew too well the Princess de
Saint-Dizier, to believe her capable of acting in this way, without
a certain end in view, and merely for the purpose of inflicting a
momentary pang. In this, Mdlle. de Cardoville was not deceived: Father
d'Aigrigny and the princess were both persuaded, that Adrienne, better
informed than she wished to acknowledge, knew how important it was for
her to find herself in the house in the Rue Saint-Francois on the 13th
of February, and was determined to maintain her rights. In shutting up
Adrienne as mad, it was intended to strike a fatal blow at her future
prospects; but this last precaution was useless, for Adrienne, though
upon the true scent of the family-secret they lead wished to conceal
from her, had not yet entirely penetrated its meaning, for want of
certain documents, which had been lost or hidden.

Whatever had been the moti