"My good Henriette," said I to her, trembling from
head to foot, "what a night of anxiety have I passed, I
must indeed confess --"

"Fear not, my beloved mistress," replied she; "I will
watch over your safety, and trust to be enabled fully to
provide for it."

I durst not then ask for any further explanation of
her words, for such was the ascendancy her good and steady
conduct had given her over me, that she would certainly
have blamed me for my glaring imprudence. I pressed
her hand in mute thankfulness; she comprehended my
silence and left me to myself.

At the end of some days, seeing nothing of Noël, I
ventured to question her as to his fate: she then related
to me all you have been told, and added, that the day
following this shameful and unfortunate night she had
lost no time in apprizing the comte Jean of all that had
occurred, who had quickly despatched Noël out of the
kingdom, furnishing him with a purse of ten thousand
livres to defray his travelling expenses. Such was the
fortunate termination of this disgraceful affair; and now,
having completed my painful confession, I will change
the subject to others doubtless more calculated to interest
you than the recital of such lapses.

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