"The very thing! André."
The page, who had remained in an adjoining room, undertook to rap at the door when an hour had passed.
"And now," said Diane, taking her seat by the nurse's side, "we can talk at our ease, and tranquilly, if not joyfully."
But this interview, though of the deepest interest to these two afflicted creatures, was nevertheless full of difficulty and bitterness.
In the first place, neither of them knew how far the other was cognizant of the terrible secrets of the Montgommery family.
Then, too, in what Aloyse did know of her young master's later life there were many troublesome matters which she was afraid to mention. In what way could she explain his long absences, his sudden returns, his preoccupation, and his silence?
At last, however, the good nurse did tell Diane all that she knew,—that is to say, all that she had seen; and Diane while listening to her doubtless experienced a delicious pleasure in hearing Gabriel spoken of, mingled though it was with deep grief at learning such sad news of him.
In truth, Aloyse's revelations were not of a nature calculated to calm Madame de Castro's apprehensions, but rather to rekindle them; for this earnest and impassioned witness of the young count's anguish and suffering brought vividly before Diane's mind all the torments by which his life was harassed.
Diane became more and more fully persuaded that if she wished to save those whom she loved it was high time for her to intervene.
An hour is quickly gone, no matter how painful the subject of conversation. Diane and Aloyse were startled and amazed when Andre's rap was heard at the door.