At length she found voice
to tell us that M. de Vilain had taken the paper, and was this
evening to hand it to an agent of the Spanish ambassador.
"But, girl," I said sternly, "how do you know this?"
Then she confessed that the cousin was also the lover, and had
before employed her to disclose what went on in my household, and
anything of value that could be discovered there. Doubtless the
girl, for whom my wife, in spite of her occasional fits of
reserve and temper, entertained no little liking, enjoyed many
opportunities of prying; and would have continued still to serve
him had not this last piece of villainy, with the stir which it
caused in the house and the rigorous punishment to be expected in
the event of discovery, proved too much for her nerves. Hence
this burst of confession; which once allowed to flow, ran on
almost against her will. Nor did I let her pause to consider the
full meaning of what she was saying until I had learned that
Vilain was to meet the ambassador's agent an hour after sunset at
the east end of a clump of trees which stood in the park; and
being situate between his, Vilain's, residence and the chateau,
formed a convenient place for such a transaction.
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