the house."

But she replied sadly,--

"What? How can I do that? After so many odious calumnies, my honor and
Daniel's honor oblige me to remain here. He recommends me only to flee
at the last extremity, and when there is no other resource left. Now, I
ask you, shall I be more unhappy or more seriously threatened to-morrow
than I am to-day? Evidently not."

XVI.

But, this confidence which Henrietta expressed was only apparent. In her
heart she suffered from the most terrible presentiments. A secret voice
told her that this scene, no doubt well prepared and carefully brought
about, was but another step leading to the final catastrophe.

Days, however, passed by, and nothing unusual happened. It looked as if
they had resolved, after that crisis, to give her a short respite, and
time to recover.

Even the watch kept upon her movements was not quite as strict as
heretofore. The countess kept out of her way. Mrs. Brian had given up
the desire to frighten her by her incessant remarks. Her father she saw
but rarely; for he was entirely absorbed in the preparations for the
Pennsylvania Petroleum Society. Thus, a week later, all seemed to have
entirely forgotten the terrible explosion produced by the letter to the
Duke of Champdoce.

All? By no means. There was one of the inmates of the palace who
recalled it daily,--M. Thomas Elgin.

On the very evening after the scene, his generous indignation had so far
gotten the better of his usual reserve, and his pledge of neutrality,
that he had taken the Countess Sarah aside, and overwhelmed her with
sharp reproaches.

"You will have to eat your own words," he had told her, among other
things, "if you use such abominable means to gratify your hatred."

It is true, that, when he thus took his kinswoman aside, he also took
pains to be overheard by Henrietta. And besides, for fear, perhaps, that
she might not fully appreciate his sentiments, he had stealthily pressed
her hand, and whispered into her ear,--

"Poor, dear girl! But I am here. I shall watch."

This sounded like a promise to afford her protection, which certainly
would have been efficient if it had been sincere. But was it sincere?

"No; most assuredly not!" said M. de Brevan when he was consulted. "It
can be nothing but vile hypocrisy and the beginning of an abominable
farce. You will see, madam."

What Henrietta really saw was, that the Hon. M. Elgin suddenly underwent
a complete metamorphosis. A new