The young Chevalier de Moranges had, gained admittance, she declared, under the pretext that he brought her news from the duke, the one man who occupied her thoughts, the sole object of her love.

The chevalier had seen her lover, he said, a few days before, and by cleverly appealing to things back, he had led her to fear that the duke had grown tired of her, and that a new conquest was the cause of his absence.

She had not believed these insinuations, although his long silence would have justified the most mortifying suppositions, the most cruel doubts.

At length the chevalier had grown bolder, and had declared his passion for her; whereupon she had risen and ordered him to leave her.

Just at that moment the duke had entered, and had taken the natural agitation and confusion of the chevalier as signs of her guilt.