these quantities; and when he came forth
from her ordeal unscathed, her worship of him might for a time be more
intense, but when the idol was removed, the excellence she had first
learnt to adore in him might yet lead that adoration up to the source of
all excellence. All she sought NOW was shelter wherein to weep and cower
unseen; but the priest believed that her tears would soon spring from
profound depths of penitence such as often concluded the lives of the
gay ladies of France. Mere Monique had received her tenderly, and the
good priest had gone from Lucon to announce her fate to her aunt and
brother.

At Bellaise he had found the Abbess much scandalized. She had connived
at her niece's releasing the prisoner, for she had acquired too much
regard for him to let him perish under Narcisse's hands, and she had
allowed Veronique to personate Diane at the funeral mass, and also
purposely detained Narcisse to prevent the detection of the escape; but
the discovery that her niece had accompanied his flight had filled her
with shame and furry.

Pursuit had been made towards La Rochelle, but when the neighbourhood
of the King of Navarre became known, no doubt was entertained that the
fugitives had joined him, and Narcisse, reserving his vengeance for the
family honour till he should encounter Berenger, had hotly resumed the
intention of pouncing on Eustacie at Pont de Dronne, which had been
decided on upon the report of the Italian spy, and only deferred by his
father's death. This once done, Berenger's own supposed infidelity would
have forced him to acquiesce in the annulment of the original marriage.

It had been a horrible gulf, and Berenger shuddered as one who had
barely struggled to the shore, and found his dear ones safe, and his
enemies shattered and helpless on the strand. They hurried on so as to
be in time. The priest, a brave and cautious man, who had often before
carried the rites of the Church to dying men in the midst of the enemy,
was in a secular dress, and when Berenger had given the password, and
