to be gone."

"As you please," said the poacher; "but you are wrong. I could have told
you a curious history--a most interesting history."

"Thanks for your histories--much obliged to you; but I have had enough
of them." Still Pere Seguin would persevere: "A woman, who has appeared
to me three times--yes, three following days--spoken to me, pulled me by
the fingers and by the beard eight days after her death."

"Yes! yes! I know; but which way are we to get out of this infernal
place?"

"Why, what a hurry you are in!--I say stop, and let me say good night to
her!"--and Pere Seguin approached the tall gray stone, the moon shining
full upon it, and struck it with the handle of his spade, calling each
time in a solemn voice, "Madeleine! Madeleine! Madeleine!"

Had I been at that frightful moment cut in four quarters, not one drop
of blood would have been found in my veins; my teeth chattered with
terror, and I would have given every acre of my inheritance for strength
enough to run away. "Madeleine! Madeleine!" le Pere Seguin continued in
a low and churchyard tone, "Madeleine!" he cried, leaning on the gray
tomb, "'tis me, Seguin--le Pere Seguin; good night, good night,
Madeleine!"

I could not speak, I could not move; and certainly had the lady
whispered only one single little word in reply, I should have fainted.

"Well, it is all over; she is dead for certain now!" said the poacher,
shaking his head. "Alas! poor Madeleine! Gone in the flower of her age!
Dead at two-and-twenty, for having offered me a violet! Dead! Let us
begone."

I beg you to understand I did not put him to the necessity of repeating
his words, but found my legs in excellent running order in a moment.

"Hold! not so fast!" said my companion, just as I was springing at the
wall, and thought myself out of danger, "Hold! Down there, my young
gentleman, in that dark corner amongst the brambles. You see that little
heap of earth, which one might fancy a dead man alive had pushed up
with his knees; well, there also is one of my comrades. Ho! halloo,
Jerome!"

"Pere Seguin," said I, "this is unworthy of you; you have no right thus
to mock at and disturb the dead; you only want to torment me; and I have
already told you, and I repeat it, I feel exceedingly ill."

"Come, come along then--let us go. I shall return here presently to
sleep. Good night, Madeleine!--good night, Jerome!--good night, all of
you who are sleeping so quietly under the green