"Generous man! But you shall not quit your country for my sake: besides, I will not quit my husband in the hour of danger. No, whatever be the fate of Pendarves, I stay to witness and perhaps to share it. The die is cast: so say no more." By this time we had reached my home. Alice came to meet me. "O my poor, dear master!" said she: "but it was all his own seeking. We had passed the barrier; but he would go back. He declared he could not, would not escape till he knew you were safe: when just as I was got into the house in the Champs Elisées, and he was holding the reins in his hands, the officers seized him; and he said, 'I am he whom you seek--I am quite willing to accompany you.'" "This in some measure redeems his character with me," cried De Walden; and _I_ did not feel it the less because I said nothing: but at length I said, "Generous Seymour! He never told me this. He did not make a merit of it with me." Juan now came in, lamenting with great grief his poor master's return. "O that vile woman!" cried he: "It was at her instigation that he was to have been tried and condemned to-day; and then she repented, and came to the prison to watch for his being led out, when she saw him brought back, and then she had the audacity to hang upon him, weeping and making such a fuss! while he, poor soul, tried to shake her off, assuring her he forgave her, but never wished to see her more!" "Did he act and talk thus?" cried I. "He did indeed." "And he came back from anxiety for me! O my dear friend, how glad am I that I refused your proposal before I heard this!"--Sweet indeed was it to my heart to have the conduct of Pendarves thus cleared up. That evening we learnt that Pendarves was to go before the tribunal the next day; and I was preparing to try to gain admittance to him, and to see him as he came out, when an order for my own arrest came, and an officer and his assistants to lead me to a prison. Juan instantly went in search of De Walden; but I was led away before his return. On the road we met the tyrant: "_Ah ha, ma belle!_" cried he, "where are now your green spectacles?" I haughtily demanded my liberty; but he said I was a dangerous person--and to prison I was borne. To such a prison too! My husband's cell was a palace to mine; but I immediately concluded that they wished to make my confinement so horrible that I should be glad to leave it on any conditions. Two days after, and while I had been, I found, forbidden to see any one, I received a letter informing me that my decree of arrest should instantly be _cassé_, my husband set at liberty and sent with a safe-conduct out of the frontiers, if I would promise to smile on a man who adored me, and who had power to do whatever he promised, and would perform it before he claimed one approving glance from my fine eyes.