hat is it? What is it?' she whispered, clasping her hands. And with
all the colour gone suddenly from her cheeks she peered trembling into
the corners and towards the door. 'There is no one here.'

I forced myself to speak, though I was trembling all over like a man in
an ague. 'No, Mademoiselle, there is no one here,' I muttered. 'There
is no one here.' And then I let my head fall on my breast, and I stood
before her, the statue of despair. Had she felt a grain of suspicion, a
grain of doubt, my bearing must have opened her eyes; but her mind was
cast in so noble a mould that, having once thought ill of me and been
converted, she could feel no doubt again. She must trust all in all.
A little recovered from her fright, she stood looking at me in great
wonder; and at last she had a thought--

'You are not well?' she said suddenly. 'It is your old wound, Monsieur.
Now I have it?'

'Yes, Mademoiselle,' I muttered faintly, 'it is.'

'I will call Clon!' she cried impetuously. And then, with a sob: 'Ah!
poor Clon! He is gone. But there is still Louis. I will call him and he
will get you something.'

She was gone from the room before I could stop her, and I stood leaning
against the table possessor at last of the secret which I had come so
far to win; able in a moment to open the door and go out into the night,
and make use of it--and yet the most unhappy of men. The sweat stood
on my brow; my eyes wandered round the room; I turned towards the door,
with some mad thought of flight--of flight from her, from the house,
from everything; and I had actually taken a step towards this, when on
the door, the outer door, there came a sudden hurried knocking which
jarred every nerve in my body. I started, and stopped. I stood a moment
in the middle of the floor gazing at the door, as at a ghost. Then,
glad of action, glad of anything that might relieve the tension of my
feelings, I strode to it and pulled it sharply open.

On the threshold, his flushed face lit up by the light behind me,
stood one of the knaves whom I had brought with me to Auch. He had been
running, and panted heavily; but he had kept his wits, and the instant
I, appeared he grasped my sleeve.

'Ah! Monsieur, the very man!' he cried. 'Quick! come this instant,
lose not a moment, and you may yet be first. They have the secret! The
soldiers have found Monsieur!'

'Found him?' I echoed. 'M. de Cocheforet?'

'No; but they know the place where he lies. It was foun