“That,” she replied with her slow smile, “is my secret and it will perish with me. Do your duty, Vicomte, and return to Versailles. Madame de Pompadour awaits you; the blood of the noblesse, her foes, will atone in her eyes. She has triumphed, and so have you. Go back to your King, take him the proof of his royal intrigues, destroy the noble traitors who would have destroyed you. Love and revenge, the sweetest things the world can give a man, are yours. Are they not enough?” She was coolly taunting him, and out there in the court-yard waited the police ready to arrest a traitress with the proof of her crime on her person. Was ever a man in so cruel and tragic a position?
“Why do you waver?” she asked very quietly. “Is it because of Denise?”
He met her gaze. This was not the crystal-gazer, nor the “Princess,” nor even Yvonne who spoke. It was another woman, from whom all that was hateful, cynical, insolent, had vanished. André’s hands on his chair trembled.
“Yes,” he answered, in a low voice, “were it not for Denise and Denise’s sake alone I would destroy these papers and would take you past the Barriers myself. You saved my life once, more than once, for you could have killed me in the cabin at Fontenoy; you and the Chevalier—God rest his soul—enabled me to save the honour of Denise—Denise.” He paused for emotion. “You have enabled me to save my own honour. Why you did these things I do not know. But I would to-night, and now, take you past the Barrier of St. Louis, and I would then bid Versailles and you adieu for ever. God alone can judge you, not I—but Denise—there is Denise——”
“Then Denise herself must decide.”
She was mad after all; stark mad. He stood helplessly picking at the embroidered upholstery of the chair. Mad, mad; they were all mad.
The woman had glided towards the door on the right. André looked up exultingly. Ha! She was gone—fled. Then he, too, must escape at once. He gathered up the papers, seized his cloak, and darted towards the window, only to start back with a cry.
On the threshold of the doorway stood Denise.
He stood spellbound. Yes, it was Denise.