She took her hat.  Madame de Saint-Dizier, seeing her prey about to escape, hastened towards her niece, and, in defiance of all propriety, seized her violently by the arm with a convulsive grasp, and bade her, “Remain!”

“Fie, madame!” exclaimed Adrienne, with an accent of painful contempt, “have we sunk so low?”

“You wish to escape—­you are afraid!” resumed Madame de Saint-Dizier, looking at her disdainfully from head to foot.

With these words “you are afraid,” you could have made Adrienne de Cardoville walk into a fiery furnace.  Disengaging her arm from her aunt’s grasp, with a gesture full of nobleness and pride, she threw down the hat upon the chair, and returning to the table, said imperiously to the princess:  “There is something even stronger than the disgust with which all this inspires me—­the fear of being accused of cowardice.  Go on, madame!  I am listening!”

With her head raised, her color somewhat heightened, her glance half veiled by a tear of indignation, her arms folded over her bosom, which heaved in spite of herself with deep emotion, and her little foot beating convulsively on the carpet, Adrienne looked steadily at her aunt.  The princess wished to infuse drop by drop, the poison with which she was swelling, and make her victim suffer as long as possible, feeling certain that she could not escape.  “Gentlemen,” said Madame de Saint-Dizier, in a forced voice, “this has occurred:  I was told that the commissary of police wished to speak with me:  I went to receive this magistrate; he excused himself, with a troubled air, for the nature of the duty he had to perform.  A man, against whom a warrant was out, had been seen to enter the garden-house.”

Adrienne started, there could be no doubt that Agricola was meant.  But she recovered her tranquillity, when she thought of the security of the hiding-place she had given him.

“The magistrate,” continued the princess, “asked my consent to search the hotel and extension, to discover this man.  It was his right.  I begged him to commence with the garden-house, and accompanied him.  Notwithstanding the improper conduct of Mademoiselle, it never, I confess, entered my head for a moment, that she was in any way mixed up with this police business.  I was deceived.”

“What do you mean, madame?” cried Adrienne.

“You shall know all, madame,” said the princess, with a triumphant air, “in good time.  You were in rather too great a hurry just now, to show yourself so proud and satirical.  Well!  I accompanied the commissary in his search; we came to the summer-house; I leave you to imagine the stupor and astonishment of the magistrate, on seeing three creatures dressed up like actresses.  At my request, the fact was noted in the official report; for it is well to reveal such extravagances to all whom it may concern.”

“The princess acted very wisely,” said Tripeaud, bowing; “it is well that the authorities should be informed of such matters.”