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She had waited for a ti each moment

to see him return He would be back before she could count a hundred; he

would be back before she could nuues that separated her from

her beloved province, and the home by the Biscay Sea, to which even in

that brilliant scene her thoughts turned fondly But the minutes had

passed, and passed, and he had not returned Worse, in his place

Tavannes--not the Marshal, but his brother, Count Hannibal--had found

her; he, whose odious court, at once a menace and an insult, had subtly

enveloped her for a week past He had sat down beside her, he had taken

possession of her, and, profiting by her inexperience, had played on her

fears and smiled at her dislike Finally, whether she would or no, he

had swept her with hiht Tavannes to his

side had relieved her

Her aim noas to escape before he returned, and before another, seeing

her alone, adopted his role and was rude to her Already the courtiers

about her were beginning to stare, the pages to turn and titter and