144 THE WATCH-TOWER op KOAT-VEU. 



crowns a. year, and his majesty has just appointed me to the command 

 of one of his frigates ; here is a prospect after your own heart. But 

 seriously, your grace, we have both had happiness ; you the illusion, 

 and I the pleasure of giving rise to it. Let us part friends, for a 

 tete-a-tete of a whole month must have exhausted your love, as it has 

 mine. Adieu then, Madam, and, should we ever meet again, let us 

 promise to laugh heartily at this folly of our youth, a folly which has 

 nevertheless its moral tendency. In one month I brought you to sacri- 

 fice rank, title, and fortune, to one whom you thought obscure and 

 without station. Acknowledge that you have played well your part 

 let that serve you as an example and thank heaven that I am happily 

 unable to abuse or receive your offers; for I pronounced my vows of 

 knight of Malta, before the death of my elder brother." 



"Count," cried Rita, pale as death, after a moment's silence, "your 

 conduct is most infamous, a cowardice unworthy of a gentleman." 



"Why ! good heavens, your grace, our old marshal has played well 

 his part, and his ducal coronet still sits upright and firm on his vener- 

 able head ; and on the other hand, Madam, does not all this occur 

 between persons of the same rank ?" 



"Count de Vandrez," answered Rita, with a broken accent, that ill 

 accorded with her affected calmness, "you grieve me sorely, but, un- 

 happily for you, you alone shall know it, for I will deny every thing, 

 as the world has told you, my reputation is immaculate, and you are 

 known as a conceited man." 



"But," said the count, "if I mistake not, the result for all the world 

 will be, a man laden with the favours of a lovely woman, for I have 

 witness." 



" Witness/' cried Rita, with a scornful smile. 



" Witness, Madam. The old chevalier de Lupine, who for the last 

 month has condemned himself to an imprisonment in the old lantern, 

 has not lost a single syllable of our conversation ; he has heard it all 

 through the door which communicates with this room. Guemenee 

 liked his mistress too well to have neglected his securities/' 



"Good heavens !" exclaimed the duchess, shuddering, and then 

 rising from the ground, her cheeks empurpled, and eyes flashing 

 with indignation. " I suppose, my lord, this cruel farce has lasted long 

 enough ; you have long since forgotten the respect which is due to a 

 woman, and to a woman of my rank. I know not, Sir, whether you 

 be or be not the count de Vandrez ; that which I do know is that I 

 found you here alone, suffering, and unhappy ; and if the profound 

 compassion which I felt for misfortune, be it feigned or real, ought to 

 be punished as a crime, I am punished ; and if the love in which I 

 am involuntarily involved for a being whom I thought friendless, 

 and without support on earth, be still a crime deserving of the most 

 cruel sufferings, I endure these sufferings, for I have loved you, 

 Henry," said Rita, weeping in spite of herself, "I have loved you with 

 all the compassion which your wretchedness inspired; I have loved 

 you with all the hope which I anticipated of rendering you the 

 happiest of men. Loved Henry, alas ! too truly loved.'' 

 Henry appeared affected. 

 "And when I came to offer you my fortune, my hand, iwy title, 



