"I cannot pay too dearly for the joy of serving you," he said, with a
look that made her drop her eyes.

"But my husband?" she said.

"Here is something to put him to sleep," replied her lover, drawing
from his belt a little vial.

"Not for always?" said the countess, trembling.

For all answer the young seigneur made a gesture of horror.

"I would long ago have defied him to mortal combat if he were not so
old," he said. "God preserve me from ridding you of him in any other
way."

"Forgive me," said the countess, blushing. "I am cruelly punished for
my sins. In a moment of despair I thought of killing him, and I feared
you might have the same desire. My sorrow is great that I have never
yet been able to confess that wicked thought; but I fear it would be
repeated to him and he would avenge it. I have shamed you," she
continued, distressed by his silence, "I deserve your blame."

And she broke the vial by flinging it on the floor violently.

"Do not come," she said, "my husband sleeps lightly; my duty is to
wait for the help of Heaven--that will I do!"

She tried to leave the chapel.