by post-chaise. As he knew no one whom he could approach but the
Comte de Chabannes, he had the gentleman write a note requesting
a meeting at a certain spot. The Comte, believing that this was
solely for the purpose of receiving letters from the Duc de
Guise, went there, but was most surprised to see the Duc himself
and equally dismayed. The Duc, full of his own plans, took no
more notice of the Comte's dismay than had the Princess of his
silence when she told him of her amour. He described his passion
in florid terms and claimed that he would infallibly die if the
Princess could not be persuaded to see him. The Comte replied
coldly that he would tell the Princess all that the Duc wanted to
convey and would return with her response. He then went back to
Champigny with his own emotions in such a turmoil that he hardly
knew what he was doing. He thought of sending the Duc away
without saying anything to the Princess, but the faithfulness
with which he had promised to serve her soon put an end to that
idea. He arrived without knowing what he should do, and finding
that the Prince was out hunting, he went straight to the
Princess's apartment. She saw that he was distressed and
dismissed her women in order to find out what troubled him. He
told her, as calmly as he could, that the Duc de Guise was a
league distant and that he wanted passionately to see her. The
Princess gave a cry at this news and her confusion was almost as
great as that of the Comte. At first she was full of joy at the
thought of seeing the man she loved so tenderly, but when she
considered how much this was against her principles, and that she
could not see her lover without introducing him into her home
during the night and without her husband's knowledge, she found
herself in the utmost difficulty. The Comte awaited her reply as
if it were a matter of life or death. Realising that her silence