igilant companion.

"Pick it up," replied her mistress, as she tottered almost senseless
towards the staircase, and as the outer door had been left only
half-closed, the two women, light as birds, passed through it, and
with hurried steps returned to the palace. One of the ascended towards
Madame's apartments, where she disappeared; the other entered the rooms
belonging to the maids of honor, namely, on the _entresol_, and having
reached her own room, she sat down before a table, and without giving
herself time even to breathe, wrote the following letter:

"This evening Madame has been to see M. de Guiche. Everything is going
well on this side. See that your news is equally exemplary, and do not
forget to burn this paper."

She folded the letter, and leaving her room with every possible
precaution, crossed a corridor which led to the apartments appropriated
to the gentlemen attached to Monsieur's service. She stopped before a
door, under which, having previously knocked twice in a short, quick
manner, she thrust the paper, and fled. Then, returning to her own
room, she removed every trace of her having gone out, and also of
having written the letter. Amid the investigations she was so diligently
pursuing she perceived on the table the mask which belonged to Madame,
and which, according to her mistress's directions, she had brought back
but had forgotten to restore to her. "Oh, oh!" she said, "I must not
forget to do to-morrow what I have forgotten to-day."

And she took hold of the velvet mask by that part which covered the
cheeks, and feeling that her thumb was wet, looked at it. It was not
only wet, but reddened. The mask had fallen upon one of the spots of
blood which, we have already said, stained the floor, and from that
black velvet outside which had accidentally come into contact with
it, the blood had passed through to the inside, and stained the white
cambric lining. "Oh, oh!" said Montalais, for doubtless our readers have
already recognized her by these various maneuvers, "I shall not give
back this mask; it is far too precious now."

And rising from her seat, she ran towards a box made of maple wood,
which inclosed different articles of toilette and perfumery. "No, not
here," she said, "such a treasure must not be abandoned to the slightest
chance of detection."

Then, after a moment's silence, and with a smile that was peculiarly her
own, she added:--"Beautiful mask, stained with the blood of that brav