with scared faces
stood at some of the doors to gather the news from passers-by, and
pale women looked timidly from the upper windows. When he reached
the house he could not summon courage to enter it, but stood for a
long time outside, until at last he saw Louise Moulin put her head
from the window. He succeeded in catching her eye, and placing his
finger on his lips signed to her to come down. A minute later she
appeared at the door.

"Is it all true, Monsieur Sandwith? They say they are murdering
the prisoners. Surely it must be false! They could never do such
a thing!"

"It is true, Louise. I have seen it myself. I went with a disguise
to try and rescue our dear lady, even if I could not save the
marquis; but I could not get to her--the wretches have murdered
them both."

"Oh, my dear lady!" the old woman cried, bursting into tears. "The
pretty babe I nursed. To think of her murdered; and the poor young
things upstairs--what shall I do!--what shall I do, Monsieur
Sandwith!"

"You must break it to them, Louise. Do they know how great the
danger is?"

"No. I have kept it from them. They can see from the window that
something unusual is going on; everyone can see that. But I told
them it was only that the Prussians were advancing. They are
anxious--very anxious--but they are quite unprepared for this."

"Break it gradually, Louise. Tell them first that there are rumours
that the prisons have been attacked. Come down again presently as
if to get more news, and then tell them that there are reports that
the prisoners have been massacred, and then at last tell them all
the truth."

"But will you not come up, Monsieur Sandwith--they trust you so
much? Your presence will be a support to them."

"I could do nothing now," Harry said sadly. "God only can console
them. They had best be by themselves for awhile. I will come in this
evening. The first burst of grief will be over then, and my talk
may aid them to rouse themselves. Oh, if we had but tried to get
them out of prison sooner. And yet who could have foreseen that here
in Paris thousands of innocent prisoners, men and women, would be
murdered in cold blood!"

Finding that she could not persuade Harry to enter, Louise turned
to perform her painful duty; while Harry, thoroughly exhausted with
the night of horrors, made his way home, and throwing himself on
the bed, fell asleep, and did not wake until evening. His first step
was to plunge his head into wate