rvant.

"Monsieur de la Mariniere asks if he can see Madame la Comtesse for five
minutes."

"Ask him to wait--" she was beginning, coldly, when Monsieur Urbain came
hurrying impatiently across the room.

"Ah--my very good friend, Monsieur de la Mariniere," Ratoneau said with
a grin.

He did not move away. Urbain came up and kissed Adelaide's hand and
looked at her with an extraordinary expression. He was plainly dressed
for travelling, a strange-looking guest in those rooms. His square face
was drawn into hard lines, his mouth was set, his eyes were staring. She
gazed at him, fascinated, and her lips formed the words, "What is it,
Urbain?" Then she suddenly said, turning white, "Something has happened
to Herve!"

"To Herve? I don't know. Yes, he seems to have gone mad," said Urbain.
"You know nothing of it? I thought as much--but I have come straight to
you. Where is Herve? He is here now, surely? I must speak to him."

"What are you talking about? Are you sure it is not _you_ who have gone
mad? As to Herve, I have not seen him for the last hour. I was looking
for him."

"He looked devilish queer when I saw him last," muttered the General.
"Mademoiselle ran after him; they are a pretty pair."

Urbain and Adelaide both looked at him vaguely; then again at each
other.

"Where is he now? Do you know?" she said.

"He left the chateau, madame, with your daughter and her husband,"
Urbain said, slowly and indistinctly, grinding his teeth as he spoke.

"Urbain!" she cried.

"_What_ are you saying, monsieur?" growled the General, with his hand on
his sword.

"Peace, peace, Monsieur le General, you will know all presently," Urbain
said more calmly. "Some one has betrayed our plans," he went on, looking
at Adelaide, who was white and speechless. "These are my adventures. I
went to Paris in search of my son, to find out where he was, and why he
had been arrested. I could hear nothing of him. I saw the Prefet de la
Police, I saw the Duc de Rovigo, I saw Real and a dozen more officials.
No one knew anything. Finally I saw Duroc, an old acquaintance, and he
introduced me to the Emperor. His Majesty was gracious. He gave me a
free pardon for Angelot, in case he had been mixed up against his will
with any Chouan conspiracies. I pledged my honour for him in the future.
But still the mystery remained--I could not find him."

Adelaide seemed turned to stone. These two gazed at each other,
speechless, and did not now give