“He had at least to make such an impression as would induce her to consent to marry him. It is but a passing fancy which the proof of his evil character will cure--and his flight will prove it better than aught else.” “Passing fancy!” exclaimed the Duke bitterly. “Are you blind? I know not when I have so keenly suffered. But if he do not fly, he shall suffer too.” “He is not fool enough to remain. It was a shrewd thought to give him time to cool and think; and if he have any mind to linger, I will find arguments to drive him away. He has yet to learn your methods of justice here in Morvaix: I can find in them ample reasons for him. Although why you let him go instead of dealing with him at once I do not see.” “If he flies, his flight will be, as you say, the proof of his guilt.” “He will fly,” said de Proballe, confidently. “Did he not shun your province as a man would shun hell? Did he not refuse to come without that promise of pardon in writing? By a man’s acts you shall know him, not by his words. Let him think of Gabrielle as he will, he will think more of his own life. But I would have kept him.” “When his flight has proved his guilt he can be retaken for me to use.” De Proballe laughed. “You have a mercy of your own, Duke. I had not thought of that. Stay, what if he were to use this interval of your mercy to prevail on Gabrielle to fly with him? He is daredevil enough.” “She would never stoop to that, surely!” “Women are women, and when they are in--when a man influences them, I mean, the best will do strange things.” “Return to Malincourt and watch, de Proballe. Your niece is to come to the Castle two hours after noon. Make this flight impossible after then; and after that I will see to it that no chance offers for her to leave even the Castle itself. If the mad attempt be made, have the scoundrel seized and brought to me.” De Proballe was by no means sorry to get away from the Governor in his present mood, and returned to Malincourt to keep the watch; while the Governor hurried on to the Castle to take further steps designed to prevent this suggested flight; and some of them were to have important results in another direction. He despatched a body of soldiers to watch round Malincourt, and at the same time sent urgent commands to the officers of the different gates of the city that no one was to be allowed to pass out without leave signed by him. Thus it came about that the courier whom Pascal was sending to Cambrai was stopped, and valuable time lost. The Governor, having completed these arrangements, was closeted for an hour with his wife, and as soon as he heard, to his intense relief, that Gabrielle had arrived at the Castle and was with the Duchess, he sent for Dubois to sound him in regard to that part of the plan which called for the aid of the Church. He was as hot now upon the scheme of divorcing his wife in order to be free to marry again, as he had been formerly upon the other intention.