to Francoise, the woman's nervous air
and flushed features plainly showed that she was a mere creature of
Daumon's; but Mademoiselle de Laurebourg felt it would be unwise to
take any notice of her discovery, but to abstain from employing her in
confidential communications for the future.

As the hour of the meeting drew near a host of doubts assailed her.
Would Norbert come to the meeting? Had Francoise contrived to see him?
Might he not be absent from home? It was now growing dark, and the
servants brought candles into the dining-room, and Diana, contriving to
slip away, gained the appointed spot. Norbert was waiting, and when he
caught sight of her, rushed forward, but stopped as though restrained by
a sudden thought, and remained still, as if rooted to the ground.

"You sent for me, mademoiselle?" said he.

"I did."

After a pause, in which she succeeded in mastering her emotion, Diana
began with the utmost volubility to explain the extortion that Daumon
was endeavoring to practise upon her, magnifying, though there was but
little need to do so, all the threats and menaces that he had made use
of. She had imagined that this last piece of roguery on the part of
Daumon would drive Norbert into a furious passion, but to her surprise
it had no such effect. He had suffered so much and so deeply, that his
heart was almost dead against any further emotion.

"Do not let this trouble you," answered he apathetically; "I will see
Daumon and settle with him."

"Can you leave me thus, at our last meeting, without even a word?" asked
she.

"What have I to say? My father forgave me on his death-bed, and I pardon
you."

"Farewell, Norbert; we shall see no more of each other. I am going to
marry, as you have doubtless been informed. Can I oppose my parent's
will? Besides, what does it signify? Farewell; remember no one wishes
more sincerely for your future happiness than I do."

"Happy!" exclaimed Norbert. "How can I ever be happy again? If you know
the secret, for pity's sake break it to me. Tell me how to forget and
how to annihilate thought. Do you not know that I had planned a life of
perfect happiness with you by my side? I had visions; and now plans and
visions are alike hateful to me. And as they ever and anon recur to my
memory, they will fill me with terror and despair."

As Diana heard these words of agony, a wild gleam of triumph shot from
her eyes, but it faded away quickly, and left her cold and emotionless