o. Send me to a convent. However
harsh and strict the rules may be, however sad life may be there, I will
find there some relief for my sorrow, and I will bless you with all my
heart."

He only shrugged his shoulders over and over again; then he said,--

"A good idea! And from your convent you would at once write to everybody
and everywhere, that my wife had turned you out of the house; that you
had been obliged to escape from threats and bad treatment; you would
repeat all the well-known elegies of the innocent young girl who is
persecuted by a wicked stepmother. Not so, my dear, not so!"

The breakfast-bell, which was ringing below, interrupted him.

"You hear, Henrietta," he said. "Consult your stomach; and, according to
what it tells you, come down, or stay here."

He went out, manifestly quite proud at having performed what he called
an act of paternal authority, without vouchsafing a glance at his
daughter, who had sunk back upon a chair; for she felt overcome, the
poor child! by all the agony of her pride. It was all over: she could
struggle no longer. People who would not shrink from such extreme
measures in order to overcome her might resort to the last extremities.
Whatever she could do, sooner or later she would have to succumb.

Hence--why might she not as well give way at once? She saw clearly,
that, the longer she postponed it, the sweeter would be the victory to
the countess, and the more painful would be the sacrifice to herself.
Arming herself, therefore, with all her energy, she went down into the
dining-room, where the others were already at table.

She had imagined that her appearance would be greeted by some insulting
remark. Not at all. They seemed hardly to notice her. The countess, who
had been talking, paused to say, "Good-morning, madam!" and then went on
without betraying in her voice the slightest emotion.

Henrietta had even to acknowledge that they had been considerate. Her
plate had not been put by her mother-in-law. A seat had been kept for
her between Mrs. Brian and M. Elgin. She sat down, and, while eating,
watched stealthily, and with all her powers of observation, these
strangers who were henceforth the masters of her destiny, and whom she
now saw for the first time; for yesterday she had hardly perceived them.

She was at once struck, painfully struck, with the dazzling, marvellous
beauty of Countess Sarah, although she had been shown her photograph by
her father, and ought