"Go, madame," said Canolles, with a mighty effort. The viscountess dropped his arm, walked away a few steps, then ran back to him. "Oh! no! no!" said she, "I will not leave him." At that moment the outer door opened. "Ah! God be praised!" she cried; "here are Monsieur Lenet and Monsieur le Duc!" Behind Monsieur de La Rochefoucauld with his sphinx-like face, came Lenet with sorrowful countenance and trembling hands. At the first glance he exchanged with the counsellor, Canolles saw that there was no hope for him, that his doom was sealed. "What have you to tell?" demanded Claire, rushing impetuously to meet Lenet, and dragging Canolles with her. "Madame la Princesse is much embarrassed--" stammered Lenet. "Embarrassed!" cried Claire, "what does that mean?" "It means that she asks for you," interposed the duke, "that she wishes to speak with you." "Is that true, Monsieur Lenet," demanded Claire, without pausing to reflect that the question was an insult to the duke. "Yes, madame," faltered Lenet. "But what of him?" she asked. "Of whom?" "Monsieur de Canolles." "Oh! Monsieur de Canolles will return to his cell, and you will bring back the princess's reply to him." "Will you remain with him, Monsieur Lenet?" "Madame--" "Will you remain with him?" she repeated. "I will not leave him." "You will not leave him, you swear that you will not?" "My God!" muttered Lenet, gazing from the man who awaited his sentence to the woman whose death one word from his mouth might cause. "My God! since one of the two is doomed, give me strength to save the other." "You will not swear, Monsieur Lenet!" "I swear," replied the counsellor, putting his hand to his heart. "Thanks, monsieur," said Canolles beneath his breath, "I understand you.--Go, madame," he added, turning to the viscountess; "you see that between Monsieur Lenet and Monsieur le Duc I am in no danger." "Do not let her go without embracing her," said Lenet. Canolles' brow was bedewed with icy sweat; a sort of mist came before his eyes; he detained Claire, as she was about to leave him, and pretending that he had something to whisper to her, drew her to his heart, and said in her ear:-- "Entreat without servility; I wish to live for you, but you should wish me to live honored." "I will entreat in such fashion as to save you," she replied; "are you not my husband in God's sight?" Canolles, as he released her, found a way to touch her neck with his lips, but so cautiously that she did not feel it, and the poor creature, mad with apprehension, left him without returning his last kiss. As she was about to leave the court-yard she turned, but there was a line of guards between her and the prisoner. "Where are you, my friend? I cannot see you; one word, one word I pray, so that I may go with your voice in my ears." "Go, Claire," said Canolles. "I await your return." "Go, go, madame," said a kind-hearted officer; "the sooner you go, the sooner you will return."