ante-room, stood silent and impassive, leaning against the wall.

He now understood and replied to the pathetic appeal in the girl's eyes.

"My young ward," he said, "M. Rameau expresses himself with propriety and
truth. Suffer him to depart. He belongs to the former life; reconcile
yourself to the new."

He advanced to take her hand, making a sign to Gustave to depart. But as
he approached Julie, she uttered a weak piteous wail, and fell at his
feet senseless. De Mauleon raised and carried her into her room, where
he left her to the care of the old bonne. On re-entering the anteroom,
he found Gustave still lingering by the outer door. "You will pardon me,
Monsieur," he said to the Vicomte, "but in fact I feel so uneasy, so
unhappy. Has she--? You see, you see that there is danger to her
health, perhaps to her reason, in so abrupt a separation, so cruel a
rupture between us. Let me call again, or I may not have strength to
keep my promise."

De Mauleon remained a few minutes musing. Then he said in a whisper,
"Come back into the salon. Let us talk frankly."




CHAPTER X.

"M. Rameau," said De Mauleon, when the two men had reseated themselves in
the salon, "I will honestly say that my desire is to rid myself as soon
as I can of the trust of guardian to this young lady. Playing as I do