aloud, seized the Count affectionately by the hand, and so far forgot
the laws of decorum as to slap the notary upon the shoulder. He would
next have embraced Virginie with effusion, had not De Montalvan
interposed.

"You shall answer for this, Monsieur," cried M. de Terville, furiously.
"Another such offence, and I will have you expelled by the lackeys."

"My dear Count," said De Berniers, "the comedy is finished, and we can
all drop our _roles_, except M. de Montalvan, who, I imagine, will
continue to hold his longer than he desires. And now, where is Mlle.
Virginie?"

"Is he mad?" said De Terville.

"Mlle. Virginie is here, at your service," said the lady, coolly.

"That's very well," replied De Berniers, "but I tell you the curtain has
fallen. Poor M. de Montalvan is puzzled enough already. Let us send for
Mlle. Virginie, and show him his error."

"No mere of this senseless jesting," said the Count; "Mlle. Virginie is
here; say what you desire, respectfully, and allow us to wish you good
day and a comfortable journey."

De Berniers's head began to swim. "But this is her cousin, not herself,"
he exclaimed.

"My niece has no cousin," said the Count.

"The fact is," said Virginie, "that my cousin Charles and I are one; and
my reason for the little masquerade was--"

But De Berniers heard no more. He rushed frantically from the library,
straight to the stables, mounted his horse, and galloped wildly away to
the inn, whence he departed for Paris within an hour.

M. de Terville was as much mystified as he was outraged by De Berniers's
behavior; but Virginie, although she at once confided the secret to De
Montalvan, thought it prudent to conceal it for a while from her uncle,
who remained unacquainted with all the details until after the marriage,
which was not long deferred.

It is a lamentable fact, that M. de Berniers never paid this wager. He
even contemplated sending M. de Montalvan, instead of the ten louis, an
invitation to mortal combat; but the friends whom he consulted convinced
him that he had no just cause of complaint against the captain. The only
person by whom he had really been aggrieved was Mlle. de Terville; M. de
Montalvan could not in decency be held responsible for the non-success
of a conspiracy of which he was to have been the victim. So M. de
Berniers had to accept all the ridicule of the position, without the
consolation of directing his vengeance against anybody. He did not pay
the