"What is it?" inquired Paula. "Not knowing if your ladyship was at home, I have begged M. and Madame de Brévannes to wait." "They are here!" exclaimed Madame de Hansfeld, shuddering. "Yes, princess." "Madame has forgotten that she appointed this morning to receive the visit of M. and Madame de Brévannes," remarked Iris. "Yes, true," said Paula, with a faltering voice, "I--yes--yes--to be sure." "The princess will see them," said Iris, hastily; "request M. and Madame Brévannes to be good enough to wait for a few minutes." The valet-de-chambre quitted the apartment. CHAPTER XLIV DECISION "Never, never shall I have the courage to receive M. and Madame de Brévannes," exclaimed the princess with despair, "for----" The voice of the prince interrupted Paula. Her salon was separated from the other apartments by a long gallery similar to that which De Hansfeld occupied on the upper story. Velvet hangings supplied the place of doors, and Paula heard her husband's voice as he inquired of the valet-de-chambre, who was waiting at the extremity of the gallery, if the princess were there. "It is the prince!" exclaimed Iris. "He is going to meet this young lady," said Paula: "both of them ignorant that M. de Brévannes is cognisant of their love, and with a horrid calculation will feign to be ignorant of that love. Oh! it is horrible to leave them in this blind, this fatal confidence!" Iris said quickly,-- "Will you spare these two unfortunates, and renounce M. de Morville? Be it so, by and by, at the moment when M. de Brévannes leaves the hotel, I will find some means of speaking to him, and in two words I will disclose to him the trickery of the Black Book." Paula started. "Is not that what you wish, godmother?" "Yes, yes!" "Still, should you desire by any chance to change this wish; if you will profit by the events which this meeting of the prince and Bertha at your house must still further precipitate, unless you oppose it, when you see me rising to go out and await M. de Brévannes, give me this pin, telling me to put it up--I shall understand that M. de Brévannes is to remain in his error." "But----" "Here is the prince. Give me this pin presently, and within a week you are free: otherwise, renounce M. de Morville for ever." M. de Hansfeld entered his wife's apartment at this moment. Iris was in the habit of remaining with her mistress, even when she received visits. Her presence at the following scene appeared therefore perfectly natural to the prince. CHAPTER XLV WILD-FOWL SHOOTING M. de Hansfeld was surprised, agitated, and excited. He had seen Bertha alight from a carriage with De Brévannes,--Bertha, to whom he had, as he believed, said adieu for ever at their last interview at Pierre Raimond's.