"Thou hast reason," returned the chatelain, recovering his gravity; "for
she is said to be both dutiful and comely. Thou wert about to marry this
daughter?"
Balthazar acknowledged the truth of this by another inclination.
"Didst thou ever know a Vevaisan of the name of Jacques Colis?"
"Mein Herr, I did. He was to have become my son."
The chatelain was again surprised; for the steadiness of the reply denoted
innocence, and he studied the countenance of the prisoner intently. He
found apparent frankness where he had expected to meet with subterfuge,
and, like all who have great acquaintance with crime, his distrust
increased. The simplicity of one who really had nothing to conceal, unlike
that appearance of firmness, which is assumed to affect innocence, set his
shrewdness at fault, though familiar with most of he expedients of the
guilty.
"This Jacques Colis was to have wived thy daughter?" continued the
chatelain, growing more wary as he thought he detected greater evidence of
art in the accused.
"It was so understood between us."
"Did he love thy child?"
The muscles of Balthazar's mouth played convulsively, the twitching of
the lip seeming to threaten a loss of self-command.
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