Gaston cast a retrospective glance upon the past, his sad and solitary youth, his brother's despairing death, his love for Helene, those days that seemed so long away from her, those nights that passed so quickly beneath the convent window, his journey to Paris, the duke's kindness to the young girl, and last, this unexpected clemency; but in all this he beheld nothing, he divined nothing. "Thank Helene," said the duke, who saw that Gaston vainly sought the cause of what had happened; "thank Helene, for it is she who saves your life." "Helene! monseigneur." "I cannot punish my daughter's affianced husband." "Helene, your daughter! oh, monseigneur, and I would have killed you!" "Yes, remember what you said just now. We set out the chosen one, we return the murderer. And sometimes you see more than a murderer--a parricide--for I am almost your father," said the duke, holding out his hand to Gaston. "Monseigneur, have mercy on me." "You have a noble heart, Gaston." "And you, monseigneur, are a noble prince. Henceforth, I am yours body and soul. Every drop of my blood for one tear of Helene's, for one wish of your highness's." "Thanks, Gaston," said the duke, smiling, "I will repay your devotion by your happiness." "I, happy, through your highness! Ah! monseigneur, God revenges himself in permitting you to return me so much good for the evil I intended you." The regent smiled at this effusion of simple joy, when the door opened and gave entrance to a green domino. "Captain la Jonquiere!" cried Gaston. "Dubois!" murmured the duke, frowning. "Monseigneur," said Gaston, hiding his face in his hands, pale with affright; "monseigneur, I am lost. It is no longer I who must be saved. I forgot my honor, I forgot my friends." "Your friends, monsieur?" said the duke, coldly. "I thought you no longer made common cause with such men." "Monseigneur, you said I had a noble heart; believe me when I say that Pontcalec, Montlouis, Du Couëdic, and Talhouet have hearts as noble as my own." "Noble!" repeated the duke, contemptuously. "Yes, monseigneur, I repeat what I said." "And do you know what they would have done, my poor child? you, who were their blind tool, the arm that they placed at the end of their thoughts. These noble hearts would have delivered their country to the stranger, they would have erased the name of France from the list of sovereign nations. Nobles, they were bound to set an example of courage and loyalty--they have given that of perfidy and cowardice; well, you do not reply--you lower your eyes; if it be your poniard you seek, it is at your feet; take it up, there is yet time."