"Ah, I see," replied Diane de Poitiers, recovering herself a bit.--"This will be the constable's salvation," she thought to herself. "Now, Madame," continued Gabriel, pale but firm, "are you willing to do me the further favor of swearing, as before, upon this crucifix, that Madame de Castro is King Henri II.'s daughter? You do not reply? Oh, why do you not reply. Madame?" "Because I cannot take that oath, Monsieur." "Ah, _mon Dieu, mon Dieu_! Diane is my father's child, then?" cried Gabriel, tottering. "I did not say that! I will never assent to that!" cried Madame de Valentinois; "Diane de Castro is the king's daughter." "Oh, really, Madame? Oh, how kind you are!" said Gabriel. "But, pardon me! Your own interest may induce you to say so. So swear it, Madame, swear it! In the name of your child, who will bless you for it, oh, swear it!" "I will not swear," said the duchess. "Why should I?" "But, Madame," said Gabriel, "this very moment you took the same oath simply to gratify your vulgar curiosity, as you told me yourself; and now, when a man's very life is at stake, when by saying these few words, you might rescue two souls from the bottomless pit, you ask, 'Why should I say these words?'" "But I will not swear, Monsieur," said Diane, coldly and decidedly. "And if I should marry Madame de Castro notwithstanding, Madame, and if Madame de Castro is my sister, don't you think that the crime will rebound upon you?" "No," replied Diane, "not when I have not taken my oath to it." "Oh, horrible! horrible!" cried Gabriel. "But consider, Madame, that I can tell everywhere that you loved the Comte de Montgommery, and were false to the king, and that I, the count's son, am certain of it." "Mere moral certainty, without proofs," said Diane, with a wicked smile, having resumed her air of impertinent and haughty indifference. "I will say that you lie, Monsieur; and you told me yourself that when you affirm and I deny, you will not be the one to be believed. Consider, too, that I can say to the king that you have presumed to make love to me, threatening to circulate slanders about me if I didn't yield to you. And then you will be lost, Monsieur Gabriel de Montgommery. But pardon me," said she, rising; "I must leave you, Monsieur. You have really entertained me exceedingly, and your story is a very singular one." She struck a bell, to summon a servant. "Oh, this is infamous!" cried Gabriel, beating his brow with his clinched fists. "Oh, why are you a woman, or why am I a man? But, nevertheless, take care, Madame! for you shall not play with my heart and my life with impunity; and God will punish you, and avenge me for what you have done,--for this infamy, I say it again!" "Do you think so?" said Diane. And she accompanied her words with a dry, mocking little laugh which was peculiar to her. At this moment, the page whom she had called raised the tapestry curtain. She gave Gabriel a mocking salute and left the room.