sacrificed her happiness for her friend's sake, and how earnestly
she had endeavored to compel Philip to fulfil his father's wishes; but
when Philip met her at the house of Vauquelas after their long
separation, he made no allusion to the recent promise which bound him
more closely than ever to Mlle. de Mirandol; and, knowing that Dolores
was aware of the engagement which had formerly existed between himself
and Antoinette, he did his best to make that bond appear of a trivial
nature in order to induce her to listen to his suit with favor. So he
had merely told Dolores that he did not love Antoinette, that he could
never love Antoinette, that it was she, Dolores, whom he passionately
adored and whom he was resolved to make his wife. If we remember the
influence such words as these could not fail to exercise over the mind
of Dolores, and the influence exerted by the peculiar circumstances of
their meeting, and by the perils that surrounded them; if we recollect,
too, that Antoinette was far away and presumably beyond the reach of
danger or of want, it is easy to understand how they came to forget
everything but their own happiness, and to regard their marriage--until
now deemed an impossibility--as a most natural and proper thing.

It was in this condition of mind that Dolores listened to Coursegol's
description of the little house in the Chevreuse valley, in which they
were to take refuge; but the vision of happiness conjured up by his
words was rudely dispelled by a sudden commotion around her which
recalled her to the grim reality of the dangers that still threatened
her on every side. The jailer was reading the names of the prisoners who
were to appear before the Revolutionary Tribunal the next day.

That evening, when Dolores re-entered her cell, eagerly longing for the
morrow which would bring Philip once more to her side, she was followed
by Aubry, who was carrying a small iron bedstead which he placed near
the one occupied by Dolores.

"What are you doing?" inquired the young girl.

"I am placing a bed here for the companion I shall be compelled to give
you to-morrow, citoyenne. I have resorted to every sort of stratagem to
gratify your desire to be alone, but now there is no help for it. We are
expecting a party of prisoners from La Vendee. There are several women
among them; and some place must be found for them, although the prison
is filled to overflowing. While you were down-stairs the inspector came
her