“What a horrible snare!” exclaimed Rodolph; “I see it all now. Believing that overnight you had listened to some secret, no doubt very important for him, he desired to get rid of you. He had probably an interest in deceiving his accomplice by describing you as a female from the country. What must have been your alarm at this proposal?”
“It was like a violent blow; it quite bereft me of sense. I could not reply, but looked at M. Ferrand aghast; my head began to wander. I should, perhaps, have risked my life by telling him that I had overheard his projects in the morning, when fortunately I recollected the fresh perils to which such an avowal would expose me. ‘You do not understand me, then?’ he said, impatiently. ‘Yes, sir,—but,’ I added, all trembling, ‘I should prefer not going into the
