"The child may die," he said at last.
And he uttered some sinister expressions on the slight damage caused by the loss of a puny creature without mind, interest, or consequence; nothing, he said, but a bit of ill-organised matter, which only came into the world to ruin so considerable a person as the marchioness.
"But what is the use of tormenting ourselves?" he went on impatiently; "the countess is not pregnant, nor can she be."
A gardener working near them overheard this part of the conversation, but as they walked away from him he could not hear any more.
A few days later, some outriders, sent before him by the count, entered the chateau, saying that their master and mistress were close at hand. In fact, they were promptly followed by brakes and travelling-carriages, and at length t
