ee him writhing in the agonies of death.
Mademoiselle Zephyrine seized my hands, and I felt that she trembled
violently.

"'Oh, M. Louet.' said she, 'it is very horrible to see a man die!'

"At that moment we heard a voice exclaiming--'Stop, cowardly villain! Wait
for me!'

"'Ernest!' exclaimed Zephyrine. 'It is the voice of Ernest!'

"As she spoke the captain rushed in, covered with blood.

"'Zephyrine!' cried he, 'Zephyrine, where are you?'

"The sudden change from the light of day to the darkness of the cave,
prevented him from seeing us. Zephyrine made me a sign to keep silence.
After remaining for a moment as if dazzled, his eyes got accustomed to the
darkness. He bounded towards us with the spring of a tiger.

"'Zephyrine, why don't you answer when I call? Come!'

"He seized her arm, and began dragging her towards the door at the back of
the grotto.

"'Where are you taking me?' cried the poor girl.

"'Come with me--come along!'

"'Never!' cried she, struggling.

"'What! You won't go with me?'

"'No; why should I? I detest you. You carried me off by force. I won't
follow you. Ernest, Ernest, here!'

"'Ernest!' muttered the captain. 'Ha! 'Tis you, then, who betrayed us?'

"'M. Louet!' cried Zephyrine, 'if you are a man, help me!'

"I saw the blade of a poniard glitter. I had no weapon, but I seized my
bass by the handle, and, raising it in the air, let it fall with such
violence on the captain's skull, that the back of the instrument was
smashed in and the bandit's head disappeared in the interior of the bass.
Either the violence of the blow, or the novelty of finding his head in a
bass, so astonished the captain that he let go his hold of Zephyrine, at
the same time uttering a roar like that of a mad bull.

"'Zephyrine! Zephyrine!' cried a voice outside.

"'Ernest!' answered the young girl, darting out of the grotto.

"I followed her, terrified at my own exploit. She was already clasped in
the arms of her lover.

"'In there,' cried the young officer to a party of soldiers who just then
came up. 'He is in there. Bring him out, dead or alive.'

"They rushed in, but the broken bass was all they found. The captain had
escaped by the other door.

"On our way to the house we saw ten or twelve dead bodies. One was lying
on the steps leading to the door.

"'Take away this carrion,' said Ernest.

"Two soldiers turned the body over. It was the last of the Beaumanoirs.

"We remained but a few mi