t. Honore, by favour of
Louis the 14th and Madame Maintenon.

Late one night--about midnight--in the autumn of the year 1680, there
came a knocking at the door of this house, so loud and violent that it
shook the very ground. Baptiste, who filled the offices of cook,
butler, and doorkeeper in the lady's modest establishment, had gone, by
her leave, to the country to his sister's wedding, so that La
Martiniere, the _femme de chambre_, was the only person still awake in
the house. She heard this knocking, which went on without ceasing
almost, and she remembered that, as Baptiste was away, she and her
mistress were alone and unprotected. She thought of the housebreakings,
robberies, and murders which were so frequent in Paris at that time,
and felt convinced that some of the numerous bands of malefactors,
knowing the defenceless state of the house that night, were raising
this alarum at the door, and would commit some outrage if it was
opened; so she remained in her room, trembling and terrified,
anathematizing Baptiste, and his sister's marriage into the bargain.

Meantime the thundering knocking went on at the door, and she thought
she heard a voice calling in the intervals, "Open, for the love of
Christ! Open!--open!" At last, her alarm increasing, she took her
candle and ran out on to the landing, where she distinctly heard the
voice crying, "Open the door, for the love of Christ!"

"After all," she said to herself, "one knows that a robber would not be
crying out in that way. Perhaps it is somebody who is being pursued and
is come to my lady for refuge. She is known to be always ready to do a
kind action--but we must be very careful!"

She opened a window, and called down into the street, asking who it was
who was making such a tremendous thundering at the door at that time of
the night, rousing everybody from their sleep. This she did in a voice
which she tried to make as like a man's as she could. By the glimmer of
the moon, which was beginning to break through dark clouds, she could
make out a tall figure, in a long grey cloak, with a broad hat drawn
down over the forehead. Then she cried, in a loud voice, so that this
person in the street should hear, "Baptiste! Claude! Pierre! Get up,
and see who this rascal is who is trying to get in at this time of
night." But a gentle, entreating voice spake from beneath, saying, "Ah,
La Martiniere, I know it is you, you kind soul, though you are trying
to alter your voice