"Consider, madame," said he, "that you are risking the future of your house upon a single throw." "There is no great merit in that," said the princess dryly, "for I am sure to win." "Monsieur le Duc," said Lenet, turning to La Rochefoucauld, "do not you, who are so superior to commonplace motives and vulgar human passions, advise moderation?" "Monsieur," retorted the duke, hypocritically, "I am at this moment discussing the point with my reason." "Discuss it rather with your conscience, Monsieur le Duc," replied Lenet; "that would be much better." At that moment they heard the sound of the outer door closing. The sound echoed in every heart, for it announced the arrival of one of the two prisoners. Soon steps resounded on the stairway, halberds rang upon the flags, the door opened, and Canolles appeared. He had never appeared so distinguished, had never been so handsome; his calm, unmoved face had retained the cheerful expression of happy ignorance. He came forward with easy, unaffected bearing, as he might have done in the salon of Monsieur Lavie, or Président Lalasne, and respectfully saluted the princess and the dukes. The princess was amazed at his perfect ease of manner, and gazed at the young man for a moment without speaking. At last she broke the silence. "Come forward, monsieur," said she. Canolles obeyed and saluted a second time. "Who are you?" "I am Baron Louis de Canolles, madame." "What rank did you hold in the royal army?" "I was lieutenant-colonel." "Were you not governor of Île Saint-Georges?" "I had that honor." "You have told the truth?" "In every point, madame." "Have you taken down the questions and answers, master clerk?" The clerk bowed. "Sign, monsieur," said the princess. Canolles took the pen with the air of a man who does not understand the purpose of a command, but obeys out of deference to the rank of the person who makes it, and signed his name with a smile. "'Tis well, monsieur," said the princess; "you may now retire." Canolles saluted his judges once more, and withdrew with the same grace and freedom from constraint, and with no manifestation of surprise or curiosity. The door was no sooner closed behind him than the princess rose. "Well, messieurs?" said she with a questioning accent. "Well, madame, let us vote," said the Duc de La Rochefoucauld. "Let us vote," echoed the Duc de Bouillon. "Will these gentlemen be kind enough to express their opinion?" he added, turning to the municipal dignitaries. "After you, monseigneur," replied one of them. "Nay, nay, before you!" cried a sonorous voice, in which there was such an accent of determination that everybody stared in amazement. "What does this mean?" demanded the princess, trying to identify the owner of the voice.