He held out his hand to Helene, who presented her forehead to him, while silent tears rolled down her cheeks; Gaston closed his eyes, that the sight of her tears might not call up his own.
At length they must part. They exchanged one last lingering glance, and the duke pressed Gaston's hand.
How strange was this sympathy between two men, one of whom had come so far for the sole purpose of killing the other.
The door closed, and Gaston sank down on a seat, utterly broken and exhausted.
In ten minutes the governor entered; he came to conduct Gaston back to his own room.
Gaston followed him silently, and when asked if there was anything he wanted, he mournfully shook his head.
At night Mademoiselle de Launay signaled that she had something to communicate.
Gaston opened the window, and received a letter inclosing another.
The first was for himself.
He read: