. He flashed his
gleaming eyes at her, and cried, more wildly than before, "Take me to
your lady, I tell you."

La Martiniere saw that her mistress was in the utmost danger. All her
affection for her, who was to her as the kindest of mothers, flamed up
and created a courage which she herself would scarcely have thought
herself capable of. She quickly closed the door of her room, moved
rapidly in front of it, and said, in a brave, firm voice, "Your furious
behaviour, now that you have got into the house, is very different to
what might have been expected from the way you spoke down in the
street. I see now that I had pity on you a little too easily. My lady
you shall not see or speak with at this hour. If you have no bad
designs, and are not afraid to show yourself in daylight, come and tell
her your business to-morrow; but take yourself off out of this house
now."

He heaved a hollow sigh, glared at La Martiniere with a terrible
expression, and grasped his dagger. She silently commended her soul to
God, but stood firm and looked him straight in the face, pressing
herself more firmly against the door through which he would have to
pass in order to reach her mistress.

"Let me get to your lady, I tell you!" he cried once more.

"Do what you will," said La Martiniere, "I shall not move from this
spot. Finish the crime which you have begun to commit. A shameful death
on the Place de Greve will overtake you, as it has your accursed
comrades in wickedness."

"Ha! you are right, La Martiniere," he cried. "I am armed, and I look
as if I were an accursed robber and murderer. But my comrades are not
executed--are not executed," and he drew his dagger, advancing with
poisonous looks towards the terrified woman.

"Jesus!" she cried, expecting her death-wound; but at that moment there
came up from the street below the clatter and the ring of arms, and the
hoof-tread of horses.

"La Marechaussee! La Marechaussee! Help! help!" she cried.

"Wretched woman, you will be my destruction," he cried. "All is over
now--all over! Here, take it; take it. Give this to your lady now, or
to-morrow if you like it better." As he said this in a whisper, he took
the candelabra from her, blew out the tapers, and placed a casket in
her hands. "As you prize your eternal salvation," he cried, "give this
to your lady." He dashed out of the door, and was gone.

La Martiniere had sunk to the floor. She raised herself with
difficulty, and groped h