lly, breach of discipline, if you will; but--"

"Wait a little," said the other, quietly. "Then comes the night of the
chateau, in which he is found among the _Chouan_ party in their very
den, taking part in the defence."

"No, no! Lamoriciere, who commanded the cuirassiers, can establish
the fact beyond question, that Burke took no part in the affray, and
delivered his sword at once when called on."

"At least they found him there, and on his person the brevet of colonel,
signed by Monsieur himself."

"Of that I can give no explanation," replied the general; "but I am in
possession of such information as can account for his presence at the
chateau, and establish his innocence on that point."

"Indeed!" cried the advocate, for such he was; "with that much may be
done."

"Unhappily, however," rejoined the general, "if such a disclosure is
not necessary to save his life, I cannot venture to give it; the ruin of
another must follow the explanation."

"Without it he is lost," said the advocate, solemnly.

"And would not accept of life with it," said I, boldly, as I started up
in my bed, and looked fixedly at them.

The general sprang back, astonished and speechless; but the advocate,
with more command over his emotions, cast his eyes upon the paper before
him, and quickly asked,--

"And the commission; how do you account for that?"

"It was offered to and refused by me. He who made the proposal forgot it
on my table, and I was about to restore it when I was made prisoner."

"What condition was attached to your acceptance of it?"

"Some vague, indistinct proposals were made to me to join a conspiracy
of which I was neither told the object nor intentions. Indeed, I stopped
any disclosure by rejecting the bribe."

"Who made these same proposals?"

"I shall not tell his name."

"No matter," said the advocate, carelessly; "it was the Marquis de
Beauvais;" And then, as if affecting to write, I saw his sharp eyes
glance over towards me, while a smile of gratified cunning twitched his
lip. "You will have no objection to say how first you became acquainted
with him?"

The dexterity of this query, by replying to which I at once established
his preceding assumption, completely escaped me, and I gave an account
of my first meeting with De Beauvais, without ever dreaming of the
inferences it led to.

"An unhappy rencontre," said the advocate, as if musing; "better have
finished the intimacy, as you first intended,