“Go!” said she, “and prove worthy of my gratitude—­or my love.”

Seizing one of her hands, the chevalier covered it with passionate kisses.

“Such barefaced impudence surpasses everything I could have imagined!” murmured Quennebert:  “fortunately, the play is over for to-night; if it had gone on any longer, I should have done something foolish.  The lady hardly imagines what the end of the comedy will be.”

Neither did Quennebert.  It was an evening of adventures.  It was written that in the space of two hours Angelique was to run the gamut of all the emotions, experience all the vicissitudes to which a life such as she led is exposed:  hope, fear, happiness, mortification, falsehood, love that was no love, intrigue within intrigue, and, to crown all, a totally unexpected conclusion.

CHAPTER V

The chevalier was still holding Angelique’s hand when a step resounded outside, and a voice was heard.

“Can it be that he has come back?” exclaimed the damsel, hastily freeing herself from the passionate embrace of the chevalier.  “It’s not possible!  Mon Dieu!  Mon Dieu! it’s his voice!”

She grew pale to the lips, and stood staring at the door with outstretched arms, unable to advance or recede.

The chevalier listened, but felt sure the approaching voice belonged neither to the commander nor to the treasurer.

“’His voice’?” thought Quennebert to himself.  “Can this be yet another aspirant to her favour?”

The sound came nearer.

“Hide yourself!” said Angelique, pointing to a door opposite to the partition behind which the widow and the notary were ensconced.  “Hide yourself there!—­there’s a secret staircase—­you can get out that way.”

“I hide myself!” exclaimed Moranges, with a swaggering air.  “What are you thinking of?  I remain.”

It would have been better for him to have followed her advice, as may very well have occurred to the youth two minutes later, as a tall, muscular young man entered in a state of intense excitement.  Angelique rushed to meet him, crying—­

“Ah!  Monsieur le duc, is it you?”

“What is this I hear, Angelique?” said the Duc de Vitry.  “I was told below that three men had visited you this evening; but only two have gone out—­where is the third?  Ha!  I do not need long to find him,” he added, as he caught sight of the chevalier, who stood his ground bravely enough.

“In Heaven’s name!” cried Angelique,—­“in Heaven’s name, listen to me!”

“No, no, not a word.  Just now I am not questioning you.  Who are you, sir?”

The chevalier’s teasing and bantering disposition made him even at that critical moment insensible to fear, so he retorted insolently—­

“Whoever I please to be, sir; and on my word I find the tone in which you put your question delightfully amusing.”