Despite the anger that his face revealed, Salaun Lebrenn could not restrain a sigh of relief at seeing his son, concerning whom he had been racked with anxiety since the day of his disappearance. Serdan contemplated with inquisitive and suspicious eyes the masked woman whom they found in a tête-à-tête with Nominoë, not far from one of the park gates of the Castle of Plouernel. Reassured upon his son's fate, Salaun was about to give a loose to his indignation, but the presence of the unknown masked woman restrained him. While asking himself who the woman could be and what relations she could have with Nominoë, he said to the latter in a peremptory tone, accompanying the words with a gesture of authority: "Follow us, my son! Your uncle and I must speak with you." "Father, please let me know where I shall meet you. I shall place myself at your orders at sunset." "Follow me instantly!" replied Salaun imperiously. "Come on the spot! What we have to say to you will brook no delay." "It is hard for me to disobey you, father--but at this moment I can not accompany you," answered Nominoë, stepping towards Bertha. "I can not leave the lady alone--later I shall obey you. I shall go to whatever place you may please to appoint." "You dare resist your father's orders--unhappy boy!" "Father, do not insist--it is useless--I will and must stay here." "Heaven and earth!" cried Salaun, beside himself with rage at his son's refusal--"man without faith and without honor!" "Oh! Enough! For mercy's sake, father!" retorted Nominoë in a hollow voice, turning pale with both pain and anger at hearing himself insulted by his own father in the presence of Mademoiselle Plouernel. But she, taking the young man's hand, said to him in a low and suppliant voice: "Obey your father!" "Lebrenn! For heaven's sake, collect yourself!" put in Serdan, continuing to eye Bertha attentively. "It is imprudent to allow yourself to be carried away by your just indignation--before a strange woman." "That strange woman!" cried Salaun, interrupting his friend. "That strange woman!" And taking with a menacing mien a step towards Mademoiselle Plouernel: "Woman without honor! It is you who corrupted, you who drove my son to perdition! Who are you? Answer me, wretch that you are!" "Oh! God have mercy! Such an insult to her! to her!" cried Nominoë, and, dashing forward towards Salaun: "Father, you know not whom you are speaking to. Not another word!" "A threat! And to me!" exclaimed Salaun, exasperated. "A threat, when you should drop at my feet repentant and suppliant--cowardly assassin!" "Assassin! I!" stammered Nominoë, thunderstruck at Salaun's aspect, while the latter, more and more enraged, addressed Mademoiselle Plouernel: "Infamous creature--you are the accomplice in the murder!" "Murder?" repeated Nominoë, stupefied. "Yes; murder; the murder of Tina, your bride--" "Great God! Father! What is that you are saying!" cried Nominoë, shuddering with horror. "Tina, my bride--"