She obeyed and departed, not without giving Maurice a look in which he
read a farewell that she believed would be eternal.

As soon as she had gone, perhaps twenty paces, M. Lacheneur, with folded
arms, confronted Maurice.

"As for you, Monsieur d'Escorval," said he, rudely, "I hope that you
will no longer undertake to prowl around my daughter----"

"I swear to you, Monsieur--"

"Oh, no oaths, if you please. It is an evil action to endeavor to turn
a young girl from her duty, which is obedience. You have broken forever
all relations between your family and mine."

The poor youth tried to excuse himself, but M. Lacheneur interrupted
him.

"Enough! enough!" said he; "go back to your home."

And as Maurice hesitated, he seized him by the collar and dragged him to
the little footpath leading through the grove.

It was the work of scarcely ten seconds, and yet, he found time to
whisper in the young man's ear, in his formerly friendly tones:

"Go, you little wretch! do you wish to render all my precautions
useless?"