arning has determined me to go to this
rendezvous. Shall I tell you what I have guessed? That this conspiracy
against my father, the details of which you would not have me learn,
is some evil of your own devising. Ah! You change colour!" she cried,
pointing to my face. Then with a laugh of disdain she left me before I
had sufficiently recovered from my amazement to bid her stay.

"Ciel!" I cried, as I watched the tall, lissom figure vanish through the
portals of the chateau. "Did ever God create so crass and obstinate a
thing as woman?"

It occurred to me to tell Andrea, and bid him warn her. But then she
would guess that I had prompted him. Naught remained but to lay the
matter before the Chevalier de Canaples. Already I had informed him of
my fracas with St. Auban, and of the duel that was to be fought that
night, and he, in his turn, had given me the details of his stormy
interview with the Marquis, which had culminated in St. Auban's
dismissal from Canaples. I had not hitherto deemed it necessary to alarm
him with the news imparted to me by Malpertuis, imagining that did I
inform Mademoiselle that would suffice.

Now, however, as I have said, no other course was left me but to tell
him of it. Accordingly, I went within and inquired of Guilbert, whom I
met in the hall, where I might find the Chevalier. He answered me that
M. de Canaples was not in the chateau. It was believed that he had gone
with M. Louis, the intendant of the estates, to visit the vineyards at
Montcroix.

The news made me choke with impatience. Already it was close upon five
o'clock, and in another hour the sun would set and the Angelus would
toll the knell of Mademoiselle's preposterous suspicions, unless in the
meantime I had speech with Canaples, and led him to employ a father's
authority to keep his daughter indoors.

Fuming at the contretemps I called for my horse and set out at a brisk
trot for Montcroix. But my ride was fruitless. The vineyard peasants had
not seen the Chevalier for over a week.

Now, 'twixt Montcroix and the chateau there lies a good league, and to
make matters worse, as I galloped furiously back to Canaples, an evil
chance led me to mistake the way and pursue a track that brought me out
on the very banks of the river, with a strong belt of trees screening
the chateau from sight, and defying me to repair my error by going
straight ahead.

I was forced to retrace my steps, and before I had regained the point
where I