ent
perhaps eyes are upon us."

As he spoke he glanced uneasily around; but it was quite dark, and he
could see no one.

"We will give the spies a little gentle exercise," said he, "and if we
dine together they will find it hard to discover the place."

De Breulh's coachman was dozing on the driving-seat. His master aroused
him, and whispered some order in his ear. The two young men then got in,
and the carriage started at a quick pace.

"What do you think of this expedient?" asked De Breulh. "We shall go at
this pace for the next hour. We will then alight at the corner of the
Chaussee d'Autin, and be free for the rest of the night, and those who
wish to follow us to-night must have good eyes and legs."

All came to pass as De Breulh had arranged; but as he jumped out he saw
a dark form slip from behind the carriage and mingle with the crowd on
the Boulevard.

"By heavens," said he; "that was a man. I thought that I was throwing a
spy off the track, and I was in reality only treating him to a drive."

To make sure, he took off his glove and felt the springs of the
carriage.

"See," said he, "they are still warm from the contact with a human
body."

The young painter was silent, but all was now explained: while he jumped
from the cab, his tracker had been carried away upon it. This discovery
saddened the dinner, and a little after ten Andre left his friend and
returned home.

CHAPTER XXVI.

MASCARIN MOVES.

The Viscountess de Bois Arden had not been wrong when she told Andre
in Van Klopen's establishment that community of sorrow had brought the
Count and Countess of Mussidan nearer together, and that Sabine had
made up her mind to sacrifice herself for the honor of the family.
Unfortunately, however, this change in the relations of husband and wife
had not taken place immediately; for after her interview with Doctor
Hortebise, Diana's first impulse had not been to go to her husband, but
to write to Norbert, who was as much compromised by the correspondence
as she herself. Her first letter did not elicit a reply. She wrote a
second, and then a third, in which, though she did not go into details,
she let the Duke know that she was the victim of a dark intrigue, and
that a deadly peril was hanging over her daughter's head. This last
letter was brought back to her by the messenger, without any envelope,
and across it Norbert had written,--

"The weapon which you have used against me has now been turned