r mother. But she is old, and in feeble health, and I
feared some difficulties on her part; the more as her attitude towards
myself since the death of my first wife has been marked by an ill grace
approaching to hostility. I took her aside while Jeanne was playing in
the garden.

"My good Victoire," I said, "while Madame de Courteheuse was living, I
considered it a duty to leave her granddaughter in her keeping.
Besides, no one was better fitted to watch over her education. At
present my duty is to watch over it myself. I propose therefore to take
Jeanne with me to Paris; and I hope that you may be willing to
accompany her, and remain in her service." When she understood my
intention, the old woman, in whose hands I had noticed a faint
trembling, became suddenly very pale. She fixed her firm, grey eyes
upon me: "Monsieur le Comte will not do that!"

"Pardon me, my good Victoire, that I shall do. I appreciate your good
qualities of fidelity and devotion. I shall be very grateful if you
will continue to take care of my daughter, as you have done so
excellently. But for the rest, I intend to be the only master in my
own house, and the only master of my child." She laid a hand upon my
arm: "I implore you, Monsieur, don't do this!" Her fixed look did not
leave my face, and seemed to be questioning me to the very bottom of my
soul. "I have never believed it," she murmured, "No! I [237] never
could believe it. But if you take the child away I shall."

"Believe what, wretched woman? believe what?"

Her voice sank lower still. "Believe that you knew how her mother came
by her death; and that you mean the daughter to die as she did."

"Die as her mother did?"

"Yes! by the same hand!"

The sweat came on my forehead. I felt as it were a breathing of death
upon me. But still I thrust away from me that terrible light on things.

"Victoire!" I said, "take care! You are no fool: you are something
worse. Your hatred of the woman who has taken the place of my first
wife--your blind hatred--has suggested to you odious, nay! criminal
words."

"Ah! Ah! Monsieur", she cried with wild energy. "After what I have
just told you, take your daughter to live with that woman if you dare."

I walked up and down the room awhile to collect my senses. Then,
returning to the old woman, "Yet how can I believe you?" I asked. "If
you had had the shadow of a proof of what you give me to understand,
how could you have kept sile