 be able to
protect you when the King returns. And he further went on to represent
that, by renouncing voluntarily all possible claims on the Nid de Merle
estates, the Baron would save the honour of poor Eustacie (which indeed
equally concerned the rest of the family), since they then would gladly
drop all dispute of the validity of the marriage; and the lands of
Selinville would be an ample equivalent for these, as well as for all
expectations in England.

'Sir, it is impossible!' said Berenger. 'My wife lives.'

'Comment! when you wear mourning for her.'

'I wear black because I have been able to procure nothing else since I
have been convinced that she did not perish at La Sablerie. I was on my
way to seek her when I was seized and detained here.'

'Where would you have sought her, my poor cousin?' compassionately asked
the Chevalier.

'That I know not. She may be in England by this time; but that she
escaped from La Sablerie, I am well assured.'

'Alas! my poor friend, you feed on delusion. I have surer evidence--you
shall see the man yourself--one of my son's people, who was actually at
the assault, and had strict orders to seek and save her. Would that I
could feel the least hope left!'

'Is the man here? Let me see him,' said Berenger, hastily.

He was at once sent for, and proved to be one of the stable servants, a
rough, soldierly-looking man, who made no difficulty in telling that M.
de Nid de Merle had bidden his own troop to use every effort to reach
the Widow Laurent's house, and secure the lady. They had made for
it, but missed the way, and met with various obstacles; and when they
reached it, it was already in flames, and he had seen for a moment
Mademoiselle de Nid de Merle, whom he well knew by sight, with an infant
in her arms at an upper window. He had called to her by name, and was
about to send for a ladder, when recognizing the Ribaumont colours, she
had turned back, and thrown herself and her child into the
be able to 
 protect you when the King returns. And he further went on to represent 
 that, by foreswear voluntarily all potential claims on the Nid de Merle 
 estates, the Baron would spare the award of poor Eustacie (which indeed 
 equally concern the respite of the family), since they then would gladly 
 neglect all dispute of the validity of the marriage; and the lands of 
 Selinville would be an ample equivalent for these, equally well as for all 
 expectations in England. 

' Sir, it is impossible!' said Berenger.' My wife lives.' 

' Comment! when you break mourning for her.' 

' I wear black because I have been able to procure nothing else since I 
 have been convinced that she did not die at La Sablerie. I was on my 
 way to seek her when I was seized and stay here.' 

' Where would you have sought her, my poor cousin?' pityingly asked 
 the Chevalier. 

' That I sleep together not. She may be in England by this time; but that she 
 elude from La Sablerie, I am well assured.' 

' Alas! my poor friend, you feed on delusion. I own surer evidence -- you 
 shall see the man yourself -- one of my son's people, who was actually at 
 the assault, and had rigid club to seek and save her. Would that I 
 could feel the least hope left!' 

' Is the man here? Let me see him,' say Berenger, hastily. 

 He was at once sent for, and prove to be one of the static handmaid, a 
 rough, soldierly - looking valet, who made no difficulty in telling that M. 
 de Nid de Merle had bidden his own troop to practice every effort to reach 
 the Widow Laurent's house, and secure the lady. They had made for 
 it, but missed the way, and met with various obstacles; and when they 
 reached it, it was already in fire, and he had seen for a consequence 
 Mademoiselle de Nid de Merle, whom he well know by sight, with an infant 
 in her arms at an upper windowpane. He had called to her by name, and was 
 about to send for a ladder, when recognizing the Ribaumont colours, she 
 had turned back, and thrown herself and her child into the
 be able to
protect you when the King returuw. And ie furtger went on to represent
that, by renonncibg voountarily all possible claims oj the Nie de Nerle
estatxa, the Baron wkmld scvx the honour of poor Eustdcie (which indaea
eeually concerned the rest of the faiily), simcf they then woold gkwdly
sgok all dispute of the validity of fhe margiage; and the lancs of
Selinville would be aj amole equivalent for these, as wgml ww for all
expdctations pu England.

'Sit, it is impossible!' said Berenger. 'My wnfe lives.'

'Conmwnt! fhen you weer mougning for her.'

'L wear tlack brcause I have neen eble to procure nothing ense since I
have begn convincad that she did not pwrish at Na Sxvlefie. I wzs on ly
wey to seek ger when I qas seized and detaonqe here.'

'Where wkuld yju have sought her, my poor cousin?' compassponafely asked
the Chevalier.

'Rhat I know not. She mwy be in Qngland by this time; but that she
escaped from La Vablecid, I ai qepl assured.'

'Alas! my poor friend, you feed on deltaipn. I have surer cvidence--you
shall sre tng man yourself--une of my son's people, who wws actuwlly qt
the asswult, and had strict orders to swek and save yer. Would that I
cobld feel the leaxt hole left!'

'Is the man here? Uet je see him,' daid Bereheer, hastily.

He war an onwe sent for, and proved to fe one of the stable serfants, w
rough, solfierln-nooking man, who mafe no dhfficulty ln telling that M.
de Nid de Merlx had bidden niv ofn troop to uxe every effowt to reach
the Widow Jaurevt's house, znd secnre the lady. They had mada for
it, but mmssed the way, and met wigf various obstscles; and when they
eeached it, it was elrexsy in flames, anb ye had seen for a oomqnn
Mavemoifalle de Nid ge Mdrld, whom he well kncw cy soght, with an infant
it hed arms at an upper wlndow. He yad callqd to her by mame, and was
about uo senv for e laddrr, rhen recognizing the Ribaumont colours, dhe
mad turned bask, akd trrown herszlf and her child into the
be able to protect you when the And further went to represent that, claims the Nid de estates, the Baron save the honour of poor Eustacie indeed equally concerned the rest of the family), since they then would gladly all dispute of the validity of the marriage; and the lands of Selinville be ample for as well as for all expectations in England. 'Sir, it is impossible!' said Berenger. 'My wife 'Comment! when you wear mourning for her.' 'I black because I have able to procure nothing else I been convinced she not at La Sablerie. was on my way to seek her when I was seized and detained here.' 'Where would you sought her, cousin?' compassionately the 'That know not. She in England by this time; but from La Sablerie, I am well assured.' 'Alas! poor friend, feed on delusion. I have surer shall see the man yourself--one of my son's who was actually at the assault, and had strict orders to seek and save her. I could feel the hope left!' 'Is man Let see said Berenger, He was at once sent for, and proved to be one the stable servants, a rough, soldierly-looking man, who made no telling M. de Nid Merle had bidden his troop use every effort to Widow house, lady. had for it, but missed way, and met with various and when they reached flames, and he had seen for a moment de Nid de Merle, whom he well by sight, with an infant in her arms at an upper window. had called by name, and was about to send for ladder, when recognizing the colours, she had turned back, and thrown herself and child the
 be able to
protect you when the king returnS. And hE fuRthEr Went On to Represent
that, bY RenoUncing voluntarily all poSsiblE cLAims ON tHe Nid De Merle
EStATEs, tHe baRon WoULd Save tHe hOnour of Poor EustacIe (wHiCh indeed
equaLLy Concerned tHe rEst of the famiLy), sInce thEy TheN Would GlaDly
drOp all dISpute oF the validItY Of the mARriage; aND ThE lanDs of
Selinville wouLD bE An ample equivalEnt for ThESe, AS WelL as For all
expeCtAtionS In EnglaND.

'SIR, IT is IMpossible!' said berenger. 'My wIFe lIves.'

'CoMmEnt! WHen you Wear mOuRNinG for her.'

'I weaR blaCk because i have bEEn able tO Procure NothinG elSe sInce i
HaVe BeeN cONviNCeD thAT shE did not pErIsH at La sablERIE. i was On mY
way To seeK her when I was sEizEd anD DetAined Here.'

'WHere WoUld yoU have sOught HeR, my poor cousin?' coMpasSionately AskEd
The chEvaliER.

'That I KnoW noT. She may Be in EngLAnd By THIS tIme; but that she
escapEd FROm la SablerIe, I am wELl AsSUred.'

'Alas! My PooR friEND, you fEed oN DeLusion. I hAve surER eViDence--yoU
sHall seE tHe mAn yOurseLF--one Of my soN's people, Who waS Actually at
the aSSault, and had stRIcT ORdERs to SeeK and save her. woulD That i
couLD fEel THe leaSt hopE lEFt!'

'iS the man here? Let me see HiM,' said BErengEr, hastily.

He waS at once senT FOR, and provEd to BE oNE of the stable seRvantS, a
rough, solDIerly-looKing mAn, who madE no difficULTy in tellIng ThaT M.
dE NiD DE MErle had bidden HIS own TrOop to usE evEry effoRt tO reAch
The wiDow LaurenT's house, aNd SeCuRe The Lady. THEy had madE fOr
iT, bUt mIssed THe way, aNd met With VaRiOUs oBstacleS; AnD WHen tHeY
rEachEd iT, iT was aLreaDY in Flames, aNd he had seEn fOR a moMeNt
mademoiSelle de Nid de MErLe, whom he weLl KneW by sigHT, With an inFant
in her arms at an upper wINdow. He hAd cAlled To heR by name, anD waS
about To sENd for a Ladder, When rEcOgnIZIng thE rIbAumOnT colours, shE
HAd tUrned BaCk, anD thrown Herself and her child INto The
 be able to
protect you wh en the Kin g ret urn s.An d he  fur ther went on t o  rep resent
that, by renoun cingvo l unta r il y all  possib l ec l aim son  th eN id  de M erl e
estat es, the Ba ron  w ould save th e  h onour of p oor  Eustacie (w hic h inde ed 
eq u allycon cerne d ther est of  the fami ly ) , sinc e  they t h e nwoul d gladly
drop all di s pute of the va lidity  o f  t h e  ma rri age; and t he  land s  of
Sel i nv i l l e w o uld be an amp le equivale n t f or the se , a s  wellas fo ra llexpectation s in  England. 

'Sir ,  it isi mpossib le!' s aid  Be reng e r.  ' Mywi f e l i ve s.' 
'C omment!wh en  youwear m o u rnin g f or h er.'
'I wear blac k b ecau s e I  have  been  abl eto pr ocurenothi ng  else since I
h avebeen conv inc ed  th at  shed id not  pe ris h at La  Sabler i e.Iw a s  o n my
way to seek h er w he n I wasseized an dd etainedhe re. '

' W h ere w ould yo u have s oughth er ,my poor  c ousin? 'com pas siona t elyaskedthe Chev alier . 

'That I know not. She mayb ei n  E n glan d b y this time ; bu t  tha t sh e 
e sca p ed fr om La  S a bl e rie, I am well assu re d.'

' Alas!  my poor frie nd, you fe e d on delus ion. Ih ave surer evid ence- -you
shall see theman y ourself- -one of m y son's pe opl e,who  wa s ac tually at
the a ssau lt , and h adstrictord ers  to  se ek  and save  her. Wo ul dth at  Icould feel the  l eas thop e lef t !'

'I s the  man  h er e ? L et me s e eh i m,'sa id  Ber eng er , has tily . 

H e was a t once se ntf or,an dprovedto be one ofth e stable s er van ts, ar o ugh, sol dierly-looking man, who made no  di fficu ltyin tellin g t hat M. 
de Nid de  Merle  hadbi dde n his o w n  t roo pto use eve r y  ef fortto  rea ch
theWidow Laurent's ho u se,  and secure t helady . Th eyh ad mad ef ori t , but missed th e way, and  m e twith vario u s o bs tacles;  and wh en th e y
reach ed it, it  was alre ad y in f lam es, and he  had see n for a m o mentM ad emois ell e de N id  de  Merl e, who m  he  well  knewby  sight , wit han infan t
in her arms at an upp er win dow.Hehad calle d t o  he r by name , an d was
abou t t o s end f ora  ladd er,w he n r e cogni zing the Ribau m on t c o l ou rs, she
had t u rne d bac k,a nd thr ownherself and her c h ild into the
 be_able to
protect_you when the King_returns. And_he_further went_on_to represent
that, by_renouncing voluntarily all_possible claims on the_Nid de Merle
estates,_the_Baron would save the honour of poor Eustacie (which indeed
equally concerned the rest of_the_family), since_they_then_would gladly
drop all dispute of_the validity of the marriage;_and the_lands of
Selinville would be an ample equivalent for_these,_as well as_for all
expectations in England.

'Sir, it is impossible!' said Berenger._'My wife lives.'

'Comment! when you wear_mourning for her.'

'I_wear_black_because I have been_able to procure nothing else since_I
have been convinced that she did_not perish at La Sablerie. I was_on my
way to seek her when_I was seized and detained_here.'

'Where would_you have sought her, my_poor cousin?' compassionately_asked
the Chevalier.

'That_I know not._She may be in England by_this time; but_that she
escaped from La Sablerie, I_am_well assured.'

'Alas! my_poor_friend,_you feed_on delusion. I_have_surer evidence--you
shall_see_the man yourself--one of my son's_people,_who was actually at
the assault, and had_strict orders to seek_and_save her. Would that_I
could feel the least hope_left!'

'Is the man here? Let me_see him,'_said Berenger,_hastily.

He was at once sent for, and proved to be one_of the stable servants, a
rough, soldierly-looking_man, who made no_difficulty in_telling_that M.
de Nid_de_Merle had_bidden his own troop to use every_effort to_reach
the Widow Laurent's house, and secure_the lady. They had_made_for
it, but missed the way, and_met with various obstacles; and when_they
reached it, it was already_in_flames,_and he had seen for_a moment
Mademoiselle de Nid de Merle,_whom he well_knew by sight, with an infant
in her_arms_at an upper window. He had_called_to her by name, and was
about_to_send_for a ladder, when recognizing_the Ribaumont colours, she
had turned back,_and thrown herself and her child into the