He kissed her forehead, her lips, her hands, and then released
her, standing in the door and listening to her footsteps as they
went up the winding stairs and out into the hall beyond--the dark,
gloomy hall, where no light was, save a single ray, shining
through the keyhole of Victor's door.




CHAPTER XXVI.

EDITH AND THE WORLD.


"Victor is faithful," Edith said, as she saw the light, and
fancied that the Frenchman was still up, waiting to assist his
master.

But not for Richard did Victor keep the watch that night. He would
know how long that interview lasted below, and when it was ended
he would know its result. What Victor designed he was pretty sure
to accomplish, and when, by the voices in the lower hall, he knew
that Edith was coming, he stole on tip-toe to the balustrade, and,
leaning over, saw the parting at the parlor door, feeling
intuitively that Edith's relations to Richard had changed since he
last looked upon her. Never was servant more attached to his
master than was Victor Dupres to his, and yet he was strongly
unwilling that Edith's glorious beauty should be wasted thus.

"If she loved him," he said to himself, as, gliding back to his