"Helene, you shall see before long if I am acting for your good or not."
The carriage stopped.
"Helene, there is one in this house who will stand in the place of a father to you. Let me go first, and I announce you."
"Ah!" cried Helene, trembling, she knew not why; "and you are going to leave me here alone?"
"You have nothing to fear, Helene; besides, in a few minutes I will return and fetch you."
The young girl held out her hand, which Gaston pressed to his lips; the door opened; the carriage drove into the courtyard, where Gaston felt that Helene ran no danger; the man who had come to the hotel to fetch him opened the carriage door; Gaston again pressed Helene's hand, alighted, ascended the steps, and entered the corridor, when his guide left him as before.
Gaston, knowing that Helene waited his return, at once tapped at the door of the room.
"Enter," said the voice of the false Spaniard.
Gaston knew the voice, entered, and with a calm face approached the Duc d'Olivares.
"You are punctual, monsieur," said the latter; "we named noon, and it is now striking."