hen take my arm, and we shall go and search for a place for our
encampment."

She leaned lightly on his arm, and took a few steps with him toward the
forest.

"Do you think they are saved?" she asked.

"I hope so," he replied. "The face of Doctor Durocher is more cheerful."

"Oh! how glad I am!"

Both of them stumbled over a root, and laughed like two children for
several minutes.

"We shall soon be in the woods," said Madame de Tecle, "and I declare I
can go no farther: good or bad, I choose this spot."

They were still quite close to the hut, but the branches of the old
trees which had been spared by the axe spread like a sombre dome over
their heads. Near by was a large rock, slightly covered with moss, and a
number of old trunks of trees, on which Madame de Tecle took her seat.

"Nothing could be better," said Camors, gayly. "I must collect my
materials."

A moment after he reappeared, bringing in his arms brushwood, and also a
travelling-rug which his servant had brought him.

He got on his knees in front of the rock, prepared the fagots, and
lighted them with a match. When the flame began to flicker on the rustic
hearth Madame de Tecle trembled with joy, and held out both hands to the
blaze.

"Ah! how nice that is!" she said; "and then it is so amusing; one would
say we had been shipwrecked.

"Now, Monsieur, if you would be perfect go and see what Durocher
reports."

He ran to the hut. When he returned he could not avoid stopping half way
to admire the elegant and simple silhouette of the young woman,
defined sharply against the blackness of the wood, her fine countenance
slightly illuminated by the firelight. The moment she saw him:

"Well!" she cried.

"A great deal of hope."

"Oh! what happiness, Monsieur!" She pressed his hand.

"Sit down there," she said.

He sat down on a rock contiguous to hers, and replied to her eager
questions. He repeated, in detail, his conversation with the doctor, and
explained at length the properties of belladonna. She listened at first
with interest, but little by little, with her head wrapped in her
veil and resting on the boughs interlaced behind her, she seemed to be
uncomfortably resting from fatigue.

"You are likely to fall asleep there," he said, laughing.

"Perhaps!" she murmured--smiled, and went to sleep.

Her sleep resembled death, it was so profound, and so calm was the
beating of her heart, so light her breathing.

Camors knelt down again