he only man
she ever cared for. He was a younger son of an impoverished earl."

I started, remembering what the Vicomtesse had said. But Monsieur de St.
Gre did not appear to see my perturbation.

"Be that as it may, if Helene suffered, she never gave a sign of it.
The marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and the world could only
conjecture what she thought of the Vicomte. It was deemed on both
sides a brilliant match. He had inherited vast estates, Ivry-le-Tour,
Montmery, Les Saillantes, I know not what else. She was heiress to the
Chateau de St. Gre with its wide lands, to the chateau and lands of
the Cote Rouge in Normandy, to the hotel St. Gre in Paris. Monsieur le
Vicomte was between forty and fifty at his marriage, and from what I
have heard of him he had many of the virtues and many of the faults of
his order. He was a bachelor, which does not mean that he had lacked
consolations. He was reserved with his equals, and distant with others.
He had served in the Guards, and did not lack courage. He dressed
exquisitely, was inclined to the Polignac party, took his ease
everywhere, had a knowledge of cards and courts, and little else. He
was cheated by his stewards, refused to believe that the Revolution was
serious, and would undoubtedly have been guillotined had the Vicomtesse
not contrived to get him out of France in spite of himself. They went
first to the Duke de Ligne, at Bel Oeil, and thence to Coblentz. He
accepted a commission in the Austrian service, which is much to his
credit, and Helene went with some friends to England. There my letter
reached her, and rather than be beholden to strangers or accept my money
there, she came to us. That is her story in brief, Messieurs. As for
Monsieur le Vicomte, he admired his wife, as well he might, respected
her for the way she served the gallants, but he made no pretence of
loving her. One affair--a girl in the village of Montmery--had lasted.
Helene was destined for higher things than may be found in Louisiana,"
said Monsieur de St. Gre, turning to Nick, "but now that you are to
carry away my treasure, Monsieur, I do not know what I should have done
without her."

"And has there been any news of the Vicomte of late?"

It was Nick who asked the question, after a little. Monsieur de St. Gre
looked at him in surprise.

"Eh, mon Dieu, have you not heard?" he said. "C'est vrai, you have
been with David. Did not the Vicomtesse mention it? But why should she?
Monsi