"Here she comes, now," said the portress. Martha entered, looking sad and mournful. "Here's a pedler who has been recommended to you, Madame Martha," said the portress. "She has the most beautiful laces in the world." "I have no need of them," said Martha, impatiently. "But, madame," . . . said Madelaine, hesitating, and trying to make a signal of intelligence to the nurse, "I have been told that the princess . . . wished to purchase some laces, and . . ." "You have been deceived, or rather you wish to deceive me, my friend," sourly replied Dame Martha. "You have the appearance of one of those travelling vendors, who never return to see if people are satisfied with what they have bought." "You would not confound me with those miserable creatures, madame," said Madelaine, redoubling her signals of intelligence, "if you knew who the person is who has recommended me to you." "And who is it?" "The Marquis of Létorière." . . . At this name Dame Martha exchanged a rapid and meaning look with Madelaine. The two women understood each other. The portress was ignorant of the name, and even the existence of the Marquis. Nevertheless the nurse, not wishing to excite her suspicions by recognizing too soon the name, replied roughly: "Seek other dupes, my friend; I don't know this Marquis." . . . "He is, nevertheless, the nephew of the Abbé de Vighan," replied Madelaine. "The nephew of the Abbé de Vighan! . . . that's very different," answered the nurse; "why didn't you tell me that sooner? The nephew of M. de Vighan would recommend none but honest persons. And what have you to sell?" "This piece of lace." And Madelaine cast an expressive glance on Martha. "It is very precious and beautiful from one end to the other; the princess may unroll it, and she will not find a defect in it." "I will go and show it to her. . . And have you nothing else?" "I have nothing that is worthy of your mistress." "Wait, then; I will come back." Inside the package of lace was a letter from the Marquis, inquiring of Julie the means of penetrating to her presence. Mlle. de Soissons answered that she considered herself his wife before God, that she was resolved to flee from the abbey, if she could by any possibility escape the surveillance which was maintained over her. She could go at all hours to pray in the chapel. This chapel was separated from the garden of the cloister by a long subterranean passage. A part of the wall looked out upon the fields; by scaling at it one point which Mlle. de Soissons designated, might be reached in the garden, by the side of a fountain, the door of this subterranean passage. By forcing this door one could gain the chapel. Mlle. de Soissons informed Létorière that every night, at one o'clock, she would wait there, to swear to him at the foot of the altar to be only his, and to concert with him a plan of fleeing to England and escaping the persecutions of her family.