"That is no right at all. A man's right concerning a woman must be derived from her own actions. But come inside the church, monsieur." She made a gesture to her attendants, and reentered the church. I followed her. We stood together before the font in the dim light. "And now," she continued, facing me, "suppose I grant that I have so acted as to give you a right to question me; what then? Is it my fault that you have followed me this morning? Is it, then, any more my fault that I have been followed, also, by M. de Noyard?" "But he must have been here before you." "What does that prove? A score of people in the Louvre knew yesterday that I was coming to this church to-day." "But so deserted a church,--so out of the way! Who would come here from the Louvre but for a tryst?" She smiled, indulgently. "Can a thing have no cause except the obvious one?" she said. "I visit this church once every month, because, obscure though it be, it is associated with certain events in the history of my ancestors." "But," I went on, though beginning to feel relieved, "if M. de Noyard was thrusting his presence on you, why did he leave before you did?" "Probably because he knew that I would not leave the church while he remained to press his company upon me outside." The low tones that we had to use, on account of our surroundings, gave our conversation an air of confidence and secrecy that was delicious to me; and now her voice fell even lower, when she added: "I take the pains to explain these things to you, monsieur, because I do not wish you to think that I have intrigues;" and she regarded me fixedly with her large gray eyes, which in the dimness of the place were darker and more lustrous than usual. Delightfully thrilled at this, I made to take her hand and stoop to kiss it, but stopped for a last doubt. "Mademoiselle," I said, "I think you only the most adorable woman in the world. But there is one thing which has cost me many a sleepless hour, many a jealous surmise. If I could be reassured as to the nature of your errand that night when I first saw you--" "Oh!" she laughed, "I was coming from an astrologer's." "But you were not coming from the direction of Ruggieri's house." "There are many astrologers in Paris, besides Ruggieri. Although the Queen-mother relies implicitly on him, one may sometimes get a more pleasing prediction from another; or, another may be clear on a point on which he is vague." "But the hour--" "I took the time when I was not on duty, and he kept me late. It was for a friend that I visited the astrologer,--a friend who was required in the palace all that evening. The astrologer had to be consulted that night, as my friend wished to be guided in a course that she would have to take the next morning. Now, Monsieur Curiosity, are you satisfied?" This time I took her hand and pressed my lips upon it.