to the floor; at length she rose up with difficulty,
and groped her way back in the darkness to her own room, where she sank
down in an arm-chair completely exhausted, unable to utter a sound.
Then she heard the keys rattle, which she had left in the lock of the
street-door. The door was closed and locked, and she heard cautious,
uncertain footsteps approaching her room. She sat riveted to the chair
without power to move, expecting something terrible to happen. But her
sensations may be imagined when the door opened, and by the light of
the night-taper she recognised at the first glance that it was honest
Baptiste, looking very pale and greatly troubled. "In the name of all
the saints!" he began, "tell me, Dame Martiniere, what has happened?
Oh! the anxiety and fear I have had! I don't know what it was, but
something drove me away from the wedding last evening. I couldn't help
myself; I had to come. On getting into our street, I thought. Dame
Martiniere sleeps lightly, she'll be sure to hear me, thinks I, if I
tap softly and gently at the door, and will come out and let me in.
Then there comes a strong patrol on horseback as well as on foot, all
armed to the teeth, and they stop me and won't let me go on. But
luckily Desgrais the lieutenant of the _Marechaussee_, is amongst them,
who knows me quite well; and when they put their lanterns under my
nose, he says, 'Why, Baptiste, where are you coming from at this time
o' night? You'd better stay quietly in the house and take care of it
There's some deviltry at work, and we are hoping to make a good capture
to-night.' You wouldn't believe how heavy these words fell on my heart.
Dame Martiniere. And then when I put my foot on the threshold, there
comes a man, all muffled up, rushing out of the house with a drawn
dagger in his hand, and he runs over me--head over heels. The door was
open, and the keys sticking in the lock. Oh! tell me what it all
means." Martiniere, relieved of her terrible fear and anxiety, related
all that had taken place.

Then she and Baptiste went out into the passage, and there they found
the candlestick lying on the floor where the stranger had thrown it as
he ran away. "It is only too certain," said Baptiste, "that our
Mademoiselle would have been robbed, ay, and even murdered, I make no
doubt. The fellow knew, as you say, that you were alone with
Mademoiselle,--why, he also knew that she was awake with her writings.
I would bet anything it was one of