“Then tell me how it comes about that neither the Count nor the Countess has made any effort to prevent this rupture?” “Their pride, perhaps, has been wounded.” “Not so, for Modeste tells us that on the very day you sent the letter the Count was going to call on you to break off the engagement.” “Yes, that is so, if we are to believe Modeste.” As if to give more emphasis to his words, Andre started to his feet. “This,” cried he, “this man, who has so suddenly appeared upon the scene, will marry Sabine, not only against her own will, but against that of her parents, and for what reason? Who is this man, and what is the mysterious power that he possesses? His power is too great to spring from an honorable source. Sabine is sacrificing herself to this man for some reason or other, and he, like a dastardly cur, is ready to take advantage of the nobleness of her heart.” “I admit the correctness of your supposition,” said he; “and now, how do you propose to act?” “I shall do nothing as yet,” answered the young man, with a fierce gleam in his eyes. “Sabine asks me to tear her from my heart. I will affect to do so for the time. Modeste believes in me, and will help me. I have patience. The villain who has wrecked my life does not know me, and I will only reveal myself upon the day that I hold him helpless in my hand.” “Take care, Andre,” urged De Breulh; “a false step would ruin your hopes for ever.” “I will make none; as soon as I have this man’s name, I will insult him; there will be a duel, and I shall kill him--or he me.” “A duel will be the height of madness, and would ruin all your hopes of marriage with Sabine.” “The only thing that holds me back is that I do not wish that there should be a corpse between Sabine and myself. Blood on a bridal dress, they say, brings misery; and if this man is what I suspect him to be, I should be doing him too much honor if I crossed swords with him. No, I must have a deeper vengeance than this, for I can never forget that he nearly caused Sabine’s death.” He paused for a few seconds, and once again broke the silence which reigned in the room. “To abuse the power that he must possess shows what a miserable wretch he must be; and men do not attain such a height of infamy by a single bound. The course of his life must be full of similar crimes, growing deeper and deadlier as he moves on. I will make it my business to unmask him and to hold him up to the scorn and contempt of his fellow-men.” “Yes; that is the plan to pursue.” “And we will do so, sir. Ah! heaven help me! I say ‘we,’ for I have relied on you. The generous offer that you made to me I refused, and I was in the right in doing so; but I should now be a mere madman if I did not entreat you to grant me your aid and advice. We have both known hardship and are capable of going without food or sleep, if necessity requires it of us. We have both graduated in the school of poverty and sorrow. We can keep our plans to ourselves and act.”