ely that she might not
cause grief to you and my father; he has given her to me,--he bade you
love her; will _you_ not give her to me also?"

"Never!" answered the countess; and though the tone was low it was
steady and resolute.

Maurice went on, disregarding her reply. "I will return with you to
Brittany on the condition that she accompanies us, as my affianced
bride, or as my wife. You have lived beneath Madeleine's roof; my father
died there; gratitude, if nothing else, should bind us to her. Can you
urge any reasonable objection to her going with us to Brittany, and as
my wife?"

The countess was roused. "Would you have me show my runaway niece to the
world? Would you have me publicly patronize, associate with, caress the
_mantua-maker_, in my own land, before my own kin? Never!"

"Then," returned Maurice, resolutely, "I do not return with you to
Brittany. Bertha may do so, and you will, doubtless, have the escort of
M. de Bois; but if you renounce Madeleine, you renounce me! Madeleine
will not become my wife without your consent,--I do not conceal _that_
from you; but I remain in this land, where she will continue to dwell.
If _you_ so wholly disregard my father's last wishes, you cannot hope
that _I_ can forget them, or that I can feel as bound to you as though
they had been respected. If your decision is final, I will not urge you
further."

"It is final!" was the laconic answer.

"And so is mine!" replied Maurice, rising. Without longer parley he left
the room.

At this crisis, the conduct of M. de Bois threatened to give a new turn
to events. We have had abundant proof of his gratitude and unwavering
devotion to Madeleine. His aversion to the countess had increased with
her persecution of her defenceless niece, and when the inexorable lady
remained unmoved by the dying prayer of her son, and refused to sanction
Madeleine's union with Maurice, M. de Bois's detestation culminated. He
was inspired with an earnest desire to stretch out his arm to shield and
aid Madeleine, and humble her oppressor; but an effectual method of
accomplishing this act of justice did not present itself to him until
Maurice communicated the result of his last interview; then Gaston
conceived the project of following up that masterly move with another
which would give it force. If he could only have counted upon Bertha as
an ally he would have been confident of the success of his plan; but he
knew that Bertha's timidity--say, rat