"There is only one means of safety," said M. d'Aigrigny;--"the doctor."

"But how?" cried the princess. "So, sudden? this very day?"

"Two hours hence, it will be too late; ere then, this infernal girl will
have seen Marshal Simon's daughters."

"But--Frederick!--it is impossible! M. Baleinier will never consent. I
ought to have been prepared before hand as we intended, after to-day's
examination."

"No matter," replied the abbe, quickly; "the doctor must try at any
hazard."

"But under what pretext?"

"I will try and find one."

"Suppose you were to find a pretext, Frederick, and we could act
immediately--nothing would be ready down there."

"Be satisfied: they are always ready there, by habitual foresight."

"How instruct the doctor on the instant?" resumed the princess.

"To send for him would be to rouse the suspicions of your niece," said
M. d'Aigrigny, thoughtfully; "and we must avoid that before everything."

"Of course," answered the princess; "her confidence in the doctor is one
of our greatest resources."

"There is a way," said the abbe quickly; "I will write a few words in
haste to Baleinier: one of your people can take the note to him, as if
it came from without--from a patient dangerously ill."

"An excellent idea!" cried the princess. "You are right. Here--upon this
table--there is everything necessary for writing. Quick! quick--But will
the doctor succeed?"

"In truth, I scarcely dare to hope it," said the marquis, sitting down
at the table with repressed rage. "Thanks to this examination, going
beyond our hopes, which our man, hidden behind the curtain, has
faithfully taken down in shorthand--thanks to the violent scenes, which
would necessarily have occurred to-morrow and the day after--the doctor,
by fencing himself round with all sorts of clever precautions, would
have been able to act with the most complete certainty. But to ask this
of him to-day, on the instant!--Herminia--it is folly to think of!"--The
marquis threw down the pen which he held in his hand; then he added,
in a tone of bitter and profound irritation: "At the very moment of
success--to see all our hopes destroyed!--Oh, the consequences of all
this are incalculable. Your niece will be the cause of the greatest
mischief--oh! the greatest injury to us."

It is impossible to describe the expression of deep rage and implacable
hatred with which D'Aigrigny uttered these last words.

"Frederick," cried the princess wi