He had left her, carried away all his property, and would not return! If we say that a selfish joy filled the breast of Monsieur de Galgenstein, the reader will not be astonished.

A heartless libertine, he felt glad at the prospect of Catherine's ruin; for he hoped that necessity would make her his own.

He clasped the poor thing to his heart, and vowed that he would replace the husband she had lost, and that his fortune should be hers.
"Will you replace him ?" said she.
"Yes, truly, in everything but the name, dear Catherine; and when he dies, I swear you shall be Countess of Galgenstein." "Will you swear ?" she cried, eagerly.
"By everything that is most sacred: were you free now, I would" (and here he swore a terrific oath) "at once make you mine." We have seen before that it cost Monsieur de Galgenstein nothing to make these vows.

Hayes was likely, too, to live as long as Catherine--as long, at least, as the Count's connection with her; but he was caught in his own snare.
She took his hand and kissed it repeatedly, and bathed it in her tears, and pressed it to her bosom.

"Max," she said, "I AM FREE! Be mine, and I will love you as I have done for years and years." Max started back.