CHAPTER XXI.
A MELANCHOLY MASHER.
When Mascarin spoke of suppressing the man who stood in his way as easily as if he was alluding to extinguishing a candle, he was not aware that there was one circumstance which considerably enhanced the difficulty of his task, for Andre had been forewarned, and this note of warning had been sounded on the day on which he had received that letter from Sabine, in which she spoke in such despairing terms of her approaching marriage, which she had been compelled to agree to to save the honor of her family.

This feeling was strengthened by a long conversation he had had with M.de Breulh-Faverlay and the Viscountess de Bois Arden, in which it was unanimously decided that the Count and Countess de Mussidan were victims of some plot of which Henri de Croisenois was certainly one of the promoters.

He had no conception on what side to look for the danger, but he had an instinctive feeling that it was impending.

He prepared, therefore, to act on the defensive.

It was not only his life that was in danger, but his love and his future happiness.