me the hope of perpetuating my race, for having spared my son a disgraceful action—­what do I say?  An abominable crime.  I would rather have a bloodstain on my escutcheon than a dishonourable blot.  Since Vallombreuse was infamous in his conduct, you have done well to kill him.  You have acted like a true gentleman, which I am assured that you are, in chivalrously protecting weakness, innocence and virtue.  You are nobly in the right.  That my daughter’s honour has been preserved unstained, I owe to you—­and it compensates me for the loss of my son—­at least my reason tells me that it should do so; but the father’s heart rebels, and unjust ideas of revenge might arise, which I should find it difficult to conquer and set at rest.  Therefore you had better go your way now, and whatever the result may be I will not pursue or molest you.  I will try to forget that a terrible necessity turned your sword against my son’s life.”

“My lord,” said de Sigognac, with profound respect, “I feel so keenly for your grief as a father, that I would have accepted any reproaches, no matter how bitter and unjust, from you, without one word of protest or feeling of resentment; even though I cannot reproach myself for my share in this disastrous conflict.  I do not wish to say anything to justify myself in your eyes, at the expense of the unhappy Duke of Vallombreuse, but I beg you to believe that this quarrel was not of my seeking.  He persistently threw himself in my way, and I have done everything I could to spare him, in more than one encounter.  Even here it was his own blind fury that led to his being wounded.  I leave Isabelle, who is dearer to me than my own soul, in your hands, and shall grieve my whole life long for this sad victory; which is a veritable and terrible defeat for me, since it destroys my happiness.  Ah! if only I could have been slain myself, instead of your unhappy son; it would have been better and happier for me.”

He bowed with grave dignity to the prince, who courteously returned his salute, exchanged a long look, eloquent of passionate love and heart-breaking regret, with Isabelle, and went sadly down the grand staircase, followed by his companions—­not however without glancing back more than once at the sweet girl he was leaving—­who to save herself from falling, leaned heavily against the railing of the landing, sobbing as if her heart would break, and pressing a handkerchief to her streaming eyes.  And, so strange a thing is the human heart, the Baron de Sigognac departed much comforted by the bitter grief and tears of her whom he so devotedly loved and worshipped.  He and his friends went on foot to the little wood where they had left their horses tied to the trees, found them undisturbed, mounted and returned to Paris.