In the meantime, the young man's eyes became dim, and closed as if he were already struggling with the angel of death: and then, after a few involuntary movements, his head fell back motionless on his pillow; from pale he had become livid.

The lady was frightened; but on this occasion, contrary to what is usually the case, fear became attractive.
She leaned over the young man, gazed earnestly, fixedly at his pale and cold face, which she almost touched, then imprinted a rapid kiss upon De Quiche's left hand, who, trembling as if an electric shock had passed through him, awoke a second time, opened his large eyes, incapable of recognition, and again fell into a state of complete insensibility.
"Come," she said to her companion, "we must not remain here any longer; I shall be committing some folly or other." "Madame, madame, your highness is forgetting your mask!" said her vigilant companion.
"Pick it up," replied her mistress, as she tottered almost senseless toward the staircase, and as the street-door had been left only half closed, the two women, light as birds, passed through it, and with hurried steps returned to the palace.

One of them ascended toward Madame's apartments, where she disappeared; the other entered the room belonging to the maids of honor, namely, on the _entresol_, and having reached her own room, she sat down before a table, and without giving herself time even to breathe, wrote the following letter: "This evening Madame has been to see M.de Guiche.

Everything is going on well on this side.

See that yours is the same, and do not forget to burn this paper." She then folded the letter in a long thin form, and leaving her room with every possible precaution, crossed a corridor which led to the apartments appropriated to the gentlemen attached to Monsieur's service.
She stopped before a door, under which, having previously knocked twice in a short quick manner, she thrust the paper, and fled.