ed in my eyes at
his kind expressions, but I felt there was no security for his adhering
to all he promised, and I trembled as I thought so. He left me and went
out. My mother, who had been watching, as soon as she saw that he had
left the house, hastened downstairs from her room, and came into the one
where I was sitting alone.

"So, mademoiselle," said she, panting, and apparently striving to
contain herself, "my power in this house is gone for ever, and all
through you. Ha, ha, ha! we shall see, we shall see. D'ye hear me,
creature?" continued she, with her clenched hand close to my face. "No,
not yet," said she, after a pause, and then she left the room.

If my father's kindness had somewhat staggered my resolution, this
conduct of my mother's confirmed it. I felt that she was right in what
she said, and that in a month she would regain her sway, and drive me to
desperation. During the whole of that day I made no reply to anything
that was said to me by my brothers and sisters, who came in by stealth
to see me. In this I followed the advice of Madame d'Albret, and at the
same time my own feelings and inclinations. The servants who offered me
dinner, and coaxed me to take some nourishment, could not get any answer
from me, and at last one of them, who was a kind-hearted girl, burst out
into tears, crying that mademoiselle was _folle_. My father did not
come home to dinner; my mother remained in her room till he came in in
the evening, and then he went up to her. It wanted but half-an-hour of
the time that I had agreed to meet Madame d'Albret. I waited that time,
during which I heard sounds of high altercation above stairs. I was
quite alone, for my mother had prevented the children coming to me, and
as the clock struck, I dropped my veil over my face and quietly walking
out of the house, made for the rendezvous agreed.

I found the _fiacre_ with Madame d'Albret waiting for me, and stepping
into it, I was in a few minutes safely lodged in her splendid
comfortable apartments. Madame d'Albret put me in a little cabinet
inside of her own room, so that no one, except one servant whom she
could trust, knew of my being on the premises. There I was left to
recover from my bruises, and regain, if possible, my good looks. On the
following day she repaired to the barracks, and remained with her sister
till the evening, when she returned, and came up to me.

"All has happened as I wished," said she, as she too