“You can drink at your ease, both of you,” he said. “Justice will not throw any light on this dark story, for the excellent reason that it will do its best on the contrary to bury it in oblivion. Beaumagnan was protected by powers who like neither scandal nor the light of day. The business will be hushed up. The thing that troubles me much more is not the action of the law----” “What is it?” said the Baron. “The vengeance of Josephine Balsamo,” said Ralph somberly. “But if she’s dead----” “Even dead, she is formidable,” said Ralph gravely. “And that’s why I am here. There is at the bottom of the park a small keeper’s lodge. I’m going to install myself in it--till our marriage. Inform Clarice that I am here and tell her to allow no one to visit her--not even me. Perhaps however she will accept this present from me since we are engaged; and I beg you to give it to her from me.” And he handed to the astonished Baron a huge sapphire, of an incomparable fineness, and cut as they used to cut precious stones in an earlier age. CHAPTER XIV. THE INFERNAL CREATURE “Let go the anchor and lower a boat,” said Josephine. A thick mist rested on the sea, which, along with the darkness of the night, prevented them from seeing the lights of Etretat. Even the lamp of Cape Antifer lighthouse could not pierce the impenetrable fog through which the yacht of Prince Lavosneff was groping its way. “Why are you sure that we are in sight of land?” Leonard asked. “Because I desire it so keenly,” said Josephine.