He took the key I handed him, and stared at it in amazement. He then
thrust his hand into his doublet pocket and drew out another key, which
he held up beside the first, looking from one to the other.

"Yes," said I, "that is a different key, which I left in place of the
right one so that you might not discover the loan too soon."

He gazed at me with a mixture of fury and surprise, as at an antagonist
whose capacity he must have previously underrated.

"By the horns of Satan," he exclaimed, "you are the boldest of meddling
imps."

"I have meddled to good purpose," said I, "though my meddling has not
turned out as I planned. But it has turned out so as to bring you peace
of mind, at least in one respect."

"What are you talking of?"

"You see that I possessed myself of that key; that I fought my way to
the prison of the Countess; that I threw open her prison door."

"And believe me, you shall pay for your ingenuity and daring, my brave
youth."

"All that was but the beginning of what I was resolved and able to do. I
had prepared our way of escape from the chateau."

"I am not sure of that."

"You may laugh with your lips, Count, but I laugh at you in my heart.
Don't think Monsieur de Pepicot is the only man who can get out of the
Chateau de Lavardin."

The reminder somewhat sobered the Count.

"I had the means, too," I went on, "to fly with Madame far from this
place. We might indeed have been a half-day's ride away by this time. I
assure you it is true. Let what I have done convince you of what more I
could have done. You don't think I should have gone so far as I have,
unless I was sure of going further, do you?"

The Count shrugged his shoulders, pretending derision, but he waited for
me.

"And why did I not go further?" I continued. "Because the Countess would
not. Because she is the truest of wives. Because, when I opened her
door, she met me with a stern rebuke for supposing her capable of flying
from your roof. Ah, Monsieur, it would have set your mind at rest, if
you had heard her. She bows to your will, though it may crush her,
because you are her husband. Never was such pious fidelity to marriage
vows. Her only hope is that your mind may be cleared of its false doubts
of her."

The Count looked impressed. He had become thoughtful, and a kind of
grateful ease seemed to show itself upon his brow. I was pleasing myself
with the belief that I had thus, in an unexpected way, convinced him of
th