e liberty, I will not answer for it. Do you know
that that idiot of an Abbe Brigaud has got arrested three days ago at
Orleans, dressed as a peddler, and--on false revelations, which they
represented to him as coming from me--has confessed all, and compromised
us terribly, so that I should not be astonished at being arrested this
very day?"

"He for whom I come to implore your pity, madame, has revealed nothing,
but, on the contrary, is condemned to death for having kept silence."

"Ah! my dear child," cried the duchess, "you speak of poor D'Harmental;
he is a gentleman; you know him, then?"

"Alas!" said Mademoiselle de Launay, "not only Bathilde knows him, but
she loves him."

"Poor child! but what can I do? I can do nothing: I have no influence.
For me to attempt anything in his favor would be to take away from him
the last hope remaining."

"I know it, madame," said Bathilde, "and I only ask of your highness one
thing; it is, that, through some of your friends or acquaintances, I may
gain admission to Monseigneur the Regent. The rest lies with me."

"My child, do you know what you are asking?" inquired the duchess. "Do
you know that the regent respects no one? Do you know--that you are
beautiful as an angel, and still more so from your present paleness? Do
you know--"

"Madame," said Bathilde, with dignity, "I know that my father saved his
life, and died in his service."

"Ah, that is another thing," said the duchess; "stay, De Launay, call
Malezieux."

Mademoiselle de Launay obeyed, and a moment afterward the faithful
chancellor entered.

"Malezieux," said the duchess, "you must take this child to the Duchesse
de Berry, with a recommendation from me. She must see the regent, and at
once; the life of a man depends upon it--it is that of D'Harmental, whom
I would myself give so much to save."

"I go, madame," said Malezieux.

"You see, my child," said the duchess, "I do all I can for you; if I can
be useful to you in any other way--if, to prepare his flight, or to
seduce a jailer, money is needed, I have still some diamonds, which
cannot be better employed than in saving the life of so brave a
gentleman. Come, lose no time, go at once to my niece; you know that she
is her father's favorite."

"I know, madame," said Bathilde, "that you are an angel, and, if I
succeed, I shall owe you more than my life."

"Come, De Launay," continued Madame de Maine, when Bathilde was gone,
"let us return to our trun