But La Corriveau had got her hand
in the dish. She was not one to lose her promised reward or miss
the chance of so cursed a deed by any untimely avowal of what she
knew.
So Angelique was doomed to remain in ignorance until too late. She
became the dupe of her own passions and the dupe of La Corriveau,
who carefully concealed from her a secret so important.
Bigot's denial in the Council weighed nothing with her. She felt
certain that the lady was no other than Caroline de St. Castin.
Angelique was acute enough to perceive that Bigot's bold assertion
that he knew nothing of her bound him in a chain of obligation never
to confess afterwards aught to the contrary. She eagerly persuaded
herself that he would not regret to hear that Caroline had died by
some sudden and, to appearance, natural death, and thus relieved him
of a danger, and her of an obstacle to her marriage.
Without making a full confidant of Mere Malheur, La Corriveau
resolved to make use of her in carrying out her diabolical scheme.
Mere Malheur had once been a servant at Beaumanoir.
Pages:
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787