“Yes, my lord duke, I did.”
“Had you ever seen him before? Do you know who he was?”
“No.”
“Listen to me, my girl. If you know how to hold your tongue, if you can forget all you have seen to-night, it will be the greatest piece of luck for you in the world that you did not go to this wedding.”
“I won’t open my lips to a soul, my lord duke. Hear me swear, I won’t. Oh, do believe me!”
“Very well; keep your oath, and your fortune is made. To-morrow I will give you a fine, large sum of money, and you can go back to your village and marry some honest fellow to whom you have taken a fancy.”
“Are you not making game of me?”
“No; go to your room and go to bed, as if nothing had happened. Jean will tell you what to do to-morrow, and you must obey him as you would me.”
“Oh, my lord! Oh, my lord duke!”
Unable to contain her delight, she mingled her laughter and her tears.