u stole?" said Juana.

"What does that matter to you? Have you any money to give me? I tell you
I must get away. They are on my traces."

"Who?"

"The people, the police."

Juana left the room, but returned immediately.

"Here," she said, holding out to him at arm's length a jewel, "that is
Dona Lagounia's cross. There are four rubies in it, of great value, I
have been told. Take it and go--go!"

"Felicie hasn't come back," he cried, with a sudden thought. "Can she
have been arrested?"

Juana laid the cross on the table, and sprang to the windows that looked
on the street. There she saw, in the moonlight, a file of soldiers
posting themselves in deepest silence along the wall of the house. She
turned, affecting to be calm, and said to her husband:--

"You have not a minute to lose; you must escape through the garden. Here
is the key of the little gate."

As a precaution she turned to the other windows, looking on the garden.
In the shadow of the trees she saw the gleam of the silver lace on the
hats of a body of gendarmes; and she heard the distant mutterings of
a crowd of persons whom sentinels were holding back at the end of the
streets up which curiosity had drawn them. Diard had, in truth, been
seen to enter his house by persons at their windows, and on their
information and that of the frightened maid-servant, who was arrested,
the troops and the people had blocked the two streets which led to the
house. A dozen gendarmes, returning from the theatre, had climbed the
walls of the garden, and guarded all exit in that direction.

"Monsieur," said Juana, "you cannot escape. The whole town is here."

Diard ran from window to window with the useless activity of a captive
bird striking against the panes to escape. Juana stood silent and
thoughtful.

"Juana, dear Juana, help me! give me, for pity's sake, some advice."

"Yes," said Juana, "I will; and I will save you."

"Ah! you are always my good angel."

Juana left the room and returned immediately, holding out to Diard, with
averted head, one of his own pistols. Diard did not take it. Juana heard
the entrance of the soldiers into the courtyard, where they laid down
the body of the murdered man to confront the assassin with the sight of
it. She turned round and saw Diard white and livid. The man was nearly
fainting, and tried to sit down.

"Your children implore you," she said, putting the pistol beneath his
hand.

"But--my good Juana, my little Juan