and before all the pursuers the CORPSE, he reaches at last
the Manoir, and stops before it crying out. It seems as if the instinct
failed him here, and the Mansion's imposing front forbade.

She hears though. The maiden's heart, and the world's indefinite voices,
beats sharply at certain sounds before the ear has caught them, for they
strike the inner strings of its being. First a pang of great alarm,--and
then she heard. Rushing forth, she clasps the sobbing wretch in her arms
and cries, "My father, what say'st thou! My God, what is it?--what has
befallen Francois?--O my dear father!"

"He is dead, he is dead!--thy loved one,--at La Misericorde."

"O Holy Virgin!"

Josephte did not fall in a swoon: she darted towards the gate.

Chrysler took the man and made him sit down on a bench,--a wild
spectacle of reason in the course of dethronement. The household stood
about: the two visitors looked on curiously and made useless
suggestions. Haviland and Zotique, driving past to make sure of
Misericorde, heard a commotion and turned their horses in. Benoit threw
himself on his knees to Chamilly, violently begging his forgiveness, and
incoherently confessing the evil work of himself and Spoon, whereat
Zotique attacked him with maledictions.

Chamilly restrained his companion. Soul of man was never seen to soar
more easily over injury.

"My dear friend, calm yourself. If there has been bad work, what should
be done now is to try and rectify it. Repeat what you were saying of
Francois."

"The poor young man! The poor young man! I have seen him dead on the
road."

The impulse to act was that which came naturally to Haviland. "Not a
moment, Zotique!" and almost immediately the rattle of the wheels was
dying into the distance.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE PASSING OF THE HOST.

They found Francois, Chamilly said, with Josephte kneeling over him
loosening his collar, and tenderly binding her neckerchief over his head
with neatness and gentleness quite enough indeed for any Heaven-selected
Sister of Charity.

Running home breathless, dishevelled and desperate, she had frightened
her brother and grandfather into speechless activity by a terrible
command to harness a horse! Dragging out a light vehicle herself she
speedily completed the arrangements, and whipping the animal pitiless
lashes, dashed out of the presence of her relatives and was soon at the
side of her injured lover, on the moorland road.

It must not tel