"What reason have you to fear now that the truth may be known? Were you recognized by anyone last night?" "Yes. Listen. I had returned to my house in Rue de Bretonvilliers to live, because there are secret exits there, leading to unoccupied land. I could don Giovanni's costume and go out and in unseen by my people." "And one night Ambroisine saw you in that guise; but she was very far from suspecting that it was not Giovanni." "True; but when she described that incident she made me shiver; I thought that she knew my secret!--But last night--I still needed money; Valentine--the Marquise de Santoval--I was to fly with her; and that is why I had resumed the Italian's disguise.--Yes, Jarnonville, I was about to abandon my wife and my daughter again--a wife so worthy of all my love, and a child who had opened my heart to repentance.--Ah! I deserved to be punished.--However, last night I had just attacked a financier; soldiers came running to the spot, and I had hardly time to make my escape. They fired at me, and I received a bullet, here, in the shoulder." "And the bullet?" "Is still there, in the wound; I can feel it.--Ah! it hurts me terribly!" "But you must have it extracted." "No, no! for a surgeon would see that it is not a pistol bullet. He would see also that I was shot from behind, while running away. Besides, it is necessary that I should die; but if only the truth might be concealed--the cause of my death!" "Rest a moment, count; this long narrative is killing you." "I must finish; for someone may come--to arrest me." "To arrest you?" "Wait.--I was flying, despite my wound, when a young woman ran after me, calling to Giovanni, and giving him the sweetest names. That young woman, the Italian's mistress, overtook me not far from here; she clung to me, my strength failed me, my cap and false beard fell off, and she recognized me." "Recognized you! Who is this young woman?" "Miretta--the marchioness's maid." "Fatality!--But, still, perhaps you alarm yourself needlessly; this girl will hold her peace." "She will speak; for she loved Giovanni, and she divined the whole truth.--She will speak, for she is determined to avenge her lover!" "Well! no one will listen to her! no one will believe her! Do you suppose that, on the strength of a girl's word, they will dare to accuse, aye, even to suspect, the Comte de Marvejols?--What proofs could she adduce? Your costume?" "When I arrived here I had only the cloak left; my servants may have seen that; I made Bathilde burn it." "And your weapons?" "I never carried any but Giovanni's short sword. It is here, hidden; see, here it is. If they should make a search--if they should find this weapon!" "Why should they make a search in this house, where you have not been living for several weeks?" "Because last night, if those soldiers followed my tracks, guided by the blood I lost, they must have seen where I stopped." "But they had lost your track, when you were overtaken by this girl."