“You are Mademoiselle Henriette Girard?” inquired the Countess kindly on entering the girl’s lodgings.
Henriette greeted the distinguished and aristocratic lady with due respect. Making her comfortable in a guest chair, she resumed her sewing and listened.
“I am the aunt of the Chevalier Maurice de Vaudrey.” The girl, startled, looked up 78 from her work. “Marriage between you and the Chevalier is impossible.”
“I love him, Madame,” replied Henriette, simply.
“Then it is your duty to give him up, since it is the will of the King that he marry Princesse de Acquitaine––”
Henriette paled. For an instant the blue eyes looked near-tigerish, with green and yellow lights. Yet she must save Maurice from the King’s wrath.
“If you will make this sacrifice,” continued the Countess, “I shall not prove ungrateful with any reward that is in my power.”
“Oh, yes, there is!” replied Henriette earnestly. She showed the Countess her sampler, on which she was working the word––
LOUISE