ould have been glad had she refused.

"I accept," she answered, "but you must not go far away. You must be
near in case I should call."

"All right. No harm shall come to you in my house, let me tell you."

The girl went toward the stairs.

"What does that mean?" said one of the men at the table at the end of
the room. "The linnet seems to be going of her own free will!"

"Silence!" said Robeccal, passing the table. "Watch and be ready!"

Meanwhile the people in the restaurant began to grumble at Francine's
departure. She looked back from the stairs.

"Have a little patience," she said, with her lovely smile, "when I come
back very shortly, I will sing you my best songs."

She followed Aube to No. 11. The proprietor was astonished to see that
the door was open, and that one of the gentlemen had vanished.

Arthur and Fernando were there. Francine had seen the Italian before in
the street, but Arthur was entirely unknown to her.

"I hope, Mademoiselle, you will sing us something," said Montferrand,
politely.

Our readers will notice that this young man's instincts were not bad,
and when removed from Frederic's influence, they resumed their
ascendancy. The girl's gentle manner, her refined, pure face commended
his respect.

Aube, now quite reassured, hastened back to his duties below.

Francine began a prelude to a simple song, when suddenly she stopped,
her guitar slipped from her hands. She saw Frederic de Talizac gliding
into the room.

"Go on, _ma belle_" he said, "surely you are not afraid of me!" And he
tried to take her by the waist.

"No," she replied, "I shall sing no more."

Frederic, though very tipsy, threw himself in front of the door.

"Yes, you will sing, and for each one of your sweet notes I will give
you a kiss."

The girl drew back from his extended arms, and turning to the two men
who stood looking on, she cried, with infinite contempt:

"Cowards! will neither of you interfere to prevent a woman from being
insulted?"

Arthur's heart was stirred by this appeal.

"You are right," he replied. "Come, Frederic, no more of this!"

"Are you talking to me?" hiccoughed Frederic. "Take her from me if you
dare!" And he put his arm around her.

"Help!" cried Francine. "Help!"

At the same moment, Frederic received a tremendous blow from
Montferrand.

The Vicomte snatched a knife from the table, and the two men engaged in
a hand to hand contest.

Francine was so terrified that she c