ed you to me?" asked Angelique, too occupied just
now to mind the gossip about Dame Tremblay, which another time she would
have enjoyed immensely. She eyed the girl with intense curiosity; for
might she not tell her something of the secret over which she was eating
her heart out?

"Yes, my Lady! Lizette referred me to you, and told me to be very
circumspect indeed about what I said touching the Intendant, but simply
to ask if you would take me into your service. Lizette need not have
warned me about the Intendant; for I never reveal secrets of my masters
or mistresses, never! never, my Lady!"

"You are more cunning than you look, nevertheless," thought Angelique,
"whatever scruple you may have about secrets." "Fanchon," said she, "I
will make one condition with you: I will take you into my service if you
will tell me whether you ever saw the Lady of Beaumanoir."

Angelique's notions of honor, clear enough in theory, never prevented
her sacrificing them without compunction to gain an object or learn a
secret that interested her.

"I will willingly tell you all I know, my Lady. I have seen her once;
none of the servants are supposed to know she is in the Chateau, but of
course all do." Fanchon stood with her two hands in the pockets of her
apron, as ready to talk as the pretty grisette who directed Lawrence
Sterne to the Opera Comique.

"Of course!" remarked Angelique, "a secret like that could never be kept
in the Chateau of Beaumanoir! Now tell me, Fanchon, what is she like?"
Angelique sat up eagerly and brushed back the hair from her ear with a
rapid stroke of her hand as she questioned the girl. There was a look in
her eyes that made Fanchon a little afraid, and brought out more truth
than she intended to impart.

"I saw her this morning, my Lady, as she knelt in her oratory: the
half-open door tempted me to look, in spite of the orders of Dame
Tremblay."

"Ah! you saw her this morning!" repeated Angelique impetuously; "how
does she appear? Is she better in looks than when she first came to the
Chateau, or worse? She ought to be worse, much worse!"

"I do not know, my Lady, but, as I said, I looked in the door, although
forbid to do so. Half-open doors are so tempting, and one cannot shut
one's eyes! Even a keyhole is hard to resist when you long to know what
is on the other side of it--I always found it so!"

"I dare say you did! But how does she look?" broke in Angelique,
impatiently stamping her dainty f