“Destruction both to you and to him,” replied the Lady Helen:  “he would never look upon you entirely as his wife, he would never treat you entirely as such.  You would dwell with him almost as a concubine.—­Forgive me, but it must be spoken.—­He would grow tired of your beauty, weary of your society; your virtues would be lost upon him, because he would see that firmness was not amongst them, and he would not respect you because you had not respected yourself.  There is something, Caroline, in the state and dignity, if I may so call it, which surrounds a virtuous married woman, that has a great effect upon her husband, ay, and a great effect upon herself.  There is not one man, Caroline, out of a million, who has genuine nobility of heart enough to stand the test of a long concealed private marriage.  I never saw but one, Caroline, and I have mingled with almost every scene of human life, and seen the world with almost all its faces.  However, here, there can be no cause which should justly induce you to consent to live with him under such circumstances, and there are a thousand causes to prevent you from so doing.  If you were to do it, you would lose your respect for yourself, and how then could you expect that he would retain any for you?”

The conversation was some time protracted in the same tone, and nearly a whole hour was thus passed ere the younger lady was dressed and ready to accompany her friend to breakfast.

Monsieur Plessis was there to do the honours of his table, treating his fair guests not exactly as his equals, but yet behaving not at all as an Englishman, under such circumstances, could have demeaned himself He was polite, attentive, deferential; but he was still Monsieur Plessis in his own house.  There can be no doubt that all he furnished them with was amply paid for; but yet he had an air of conferring a favour, and indeed felt that he did so when he received them into his dwelling at all.  There was thus an air of gallantry mingled with his respectfulness, a sweet smile that bent his lips when he pressed either of them to their food, a courteous and affable look when he greeted them for the first time that clay, all of which spoke that Monsieur Plessis felt that he was laying them under an obligation, and wished to do it in the most graceful manner possible.  The breakfast table was beautifully laid out, with damask linen of the finest quality, and more silver than was usually displayed at that day even in families of distinction.  Both the ladies seated themselves; and Plessis was proceeding to recommend some of the most exquisite chocolate which had ever been brought from Portugal—­at least so he assured them—­when the elder lady interrupted its praises by saying, “Had we not better wait a little, Monsieur Plessis, for the young lady whom we saw yesterday?”