"Samouard," she continued. "You will see that if my face is become pale and mine eyes have lost their lustre, if my beauty is lost, if Rosédès in short no longer resembles herself in the traits of her visage, it is always the same heart! Farewell, then, Samouard, and may your eyrie meet you at your journey's end; I have nothing more to ask of heaven, for I have seen you as great and noble as aforetime. Farewell, Samouard; farewell and thank you!"
But the Count made no answer. She had disappeared before he awoke from his rêverie, and said, "What a fool I was, when I swore vengeance, not to tear out my heart!"
It was seven o'clock in the morning, at the appointed place in the forêt d'Escary. The Count was rather lackadaisically listening to Morrie's suggestion that he merely turn Réginard into a wraith instead of killing him, and Pierre-Jacques-Philippe-Michel Boyen-Xènes-Baguines, who along with Château-Renard served as Pérégrin's second, was regretting all the strains of tobacco he had not yet succeeded in introducing to Réginard. De Brie and Arafrantz were also present as witnesses. Morrie and Armalvéguil served as seconds for the Count.
"Messieurs," said Morrie to Réginard's seconds. "The Count declares that he has renounced his right to use the Ring to reduce you to rubble on this occasion."
