ore the Cathedral of Saint Pierre, and resumed his
course after the twelve strokes of noon had sounded. Excepting at
this precise moment, he seemed to become a part of all the
conversations in which the old watchmaker was talked of; and
people asked each other, in terror, what relation could exist
between him and Master Zacharius. It was remarked, too, that he
never lost sight of the old man and his daughter while they were
taking their promenades.

One day Gerande perceived this monster looking at her with a
hideous smile. She clung to her father with a frightened motion.

"What is the matter, my Gerande?" asked Master Zacharius.

"I do not know," replied the young girl.

"But thou art changed, my child. Art thou going to fall ill in
thy turn? Ah, well," he added, with a sad smile, "then I must
take care of thee, and I will do it tenderly."

"O father, it will be nothing. I am cold, and I imagine that it
is--"

"What, Gerande?"

"The presence of that man, who always follows us," she replied in
a low tone.

Master Zacharius turned towards the little old man.

"Faith, he goes well," said he, with a satisfied air, "for it is
just four o'clock. Fear nothing, my child; it is not a man, it
is a clock!"

Gerande looked at her father in terror. How could Master
Zacharius read the hour on this strange creature's visage?

"By-the-bye," continued the old watchmaker, paying no further
attention to the matter, "I have not seen Aubert for several
days."

"He has not left us, however, father," said Gerande, whose
thoughts turned into a gentler channel.

"What is he doing then?"

"He is working."

"Ah!" cried the old man. "He is at work repairing my watches, is
he not? But he will never succeed; for it is not repair they
need, but a resurrection!"

Gerande remained silent.

"I must know," added the old man, "if they have brought back any
more of those accursed watches upon which the Devil has sent this
epidemic!"

After these words Master Zacharius fell into complete silence,
till he knocked at the door of his house, and for the first time
since his convalescence descended to his shop, while Gerande
sadly repaired to her chamber.

Just as Master Zacharius crossed the threshold of his shop, one
of the many clocks suspended on the wall struck five o'clock.
Usually the bells of these clocks--admirably regulated as they
were--struck simultaneously, and this rejoiced the old man's
heart; but on this day the be