ome attentions upon me in the
green-room, or endeavour to make their way into my dressing-room. A
sharp rap over the knuckles with a corset board from me will be quite as
efficacious as for you to draw your sword in my behalf."

"But I am not convinced," said de Sigognac, with a smile; "I must still
believe, sweet Isabelle, that the sword of a chivalrous ally would be
your best weapon of defence, and I beg you not to deprive me of the
precious privilege of being your devoted knight and champion."

Isabelle was still holding de Sigognac's hand, and she now raised her
lovely eyes, full of mute supplication, to meet his adoring gaze,
hoping yet to draw from him, the much desired promise. But the baron was
incorrigible; where honour was concerned he was as firm and unyielding
as a Spanish hidalgo, and he would have braved a thousand deaths rather
than have allowed an affront to the lady of his love to pass unpunished;
he wished that the same deference and respect should be accorded to
Isabelle upon the stage, as to a duchess in her drawing-room.

"Come, de Sigognac, be reasonable," pleaded the young actress, "and
promise me not to expose yourself to such danger again for so frivolous
a cause. Oh! what anxiety and anguish I endured as I awaited your return
this morning. I knew that you had gone out to fight with that dreadful
duke, who is held in such universal terror here; Zerbine told me all
about it. Cruel that you are to torture my poor heart so! That is always
the way with men; they never stop to think of what we poor, loving women
must suffer when their pride is once aroused! off they go, as fierce as
lions, deaf to our sobs and blind to our tears. Do you know, that if you
had been killed I should have died too?"

The tears that filled Isabelle's eyes, and the excessive trembling of
her voice, showed that she was in earnest, and that she had not even
yet recovered her usual calmness and composure. More deeply touched
than words can express by her emotion, and the love for himself it bore
witness to, de Sigognac, encircling her slender form with the arm that
was free, drew her gently to him, and softly kissed her fair forehead,
whilst he could feel, as he pressed her to his breast, how she was
panting and trembling. He held her thus tenderly embraced for a blissful
few seconds of silent ecstasy, which a less respectful lover would
doubtless have presumed upon; but he would have scorned to take
advantage of the unrese