ou both night
and day, and have been trying to do something for you."

"For me," said Claude, gloomily, "nothing can be done. But tell me
about her. How does she bear this?"

"Badly," said the priest, "as you may suppose."

Claude sighed.

"My son," said the priest, "I have come to you now on important
business; and, first of all, I wish to speak to you about a subject
that you will consider most important. I mean that secret which you
wish to discover, and which drew you away from your home."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Much. Remember I was with Laborde in his last hours, and received
his confession. I am, therefore, able to tell you all that you wish
to know; and after that you must decide for yourself another
question, which will grow out of this.

"About twenty years ago there was a beautiful heiress, who was
presented at court. Her name was the Countess de Besancon. She was a
Huguenot, and therefore not one whom you would expect to see amid the
vicious circles at Versailles. But her guardians were Catholic, and
hoped that the attractions of the court might weaken her faith. She
became the admired of all, and great was the rivalry for her favor.
Two, in particular, devoted themselves to her--the Count de Montresor
and the Count de Laborde. She preferred the former, and they were
married. After this, the count and countess left the court, and
retired to the Chateau de Montresor.

"Laborde and Montresor had always been firm friends until this; but
now Laborde, stung by jealousy and hate, sought to effect the ruin of
Montresor. At first his feeling was only one of jealousy, which was
not unnatural, under the circumstances. Left to himself, I doubt not
that it would have died a natural death; but, unfortunately, Laborde
was under the influence of a crafty adventurer, who now, when
Montresor's friendship was removed, gained an ascendency over him.
This man was this Cazeneau, who has treated you so shamefully.

"I will not enlarge upon his character. You yourself know now well
enough what that is. He was a man of low origin, who had grown up
amid the vilest court on the surface of the earth. At that time the
Duke of Orleans and the Abbe Dubois had control of everything, and
the whole court was an infamous scene of corruption. Cazeneau soon
found means to turn the jealousy of Laborde into a deeper hate, and
to gain his co-operation in a scheme which he had formed for his own
profit.

"Cazeneau's plan