the morning was fully come, she had Martiniere finish her
toilet, and drove to the goldsmith, taking the jewel-casket with her.

The people were pouring into the Rue Nicaise, to the house where
Cardillac lived, and were gathering about his door, shouting,
screaming, and creating a wild tumult of noise; and they were with
difficulty prevented by the _Marechaussee_, who had drawn a cordon
round the house, from forcing their way in. Angry voices were crying in
a wild confused hubbub, "Tear him to pieces! pound him to dust! the
accursed murderer!" At length Desgrais appeared on the scene with a
strong body of police, who formed a passage through the heart of the
crowd. The house door flew open and a man stepped out loaded with
chains; and he was dragged away amidst the most horrible imprecations
of the furious mob.

At the moment that De Scuderi, who was half swooning from fright and
her apprehensions that something terrible had happened, was witness of
this scene, a shrill piercing scream of distress rang upon her ears.
"Go on, go on, right forward," she cried to her coachman, almost
distracted. Scattering the dense mass of people by a quick clever turn
of his horses, he pulled up immediately in front of Cardillac's door.
There De Scuderi observed Desgrais, and at his feet a young girl, as
beautiful as the day, with dishevelled hair, only half dressed, and her
countenance stamped with desperate anxiety and wild with despair. She
was clasping his knees and crying in a tone of the most terrible, the
most heart-rending anguish, "Oh! he is innocent! he is innocent." In
vain were Desgrais' efforts, as well as those of his men, to make her
leave hold and to raise her up from the floor. At last a strong brutal
fellow laid his coarse rough hands upon the poor girl and dragged her
away from Desgrais by main force, but awkwardly stumbling let her drop,
so that she rolled down the stone steps and lay in the street, without
uttering a single sound more; she appeared to be dead.

Mademoiselle could no longer contain herself. "For God's sake, what has
happened? What's all this about?" she cried as she quickly opened the
door of her coach and stepped out. The crowd respectfully made way for
the estimable lady. She, on perceiving that two or three compassionate
women had raised up the girl and set her on the steps, where they were
rubbing her forehead with aromatic waters, approached Desgrais and
repeated her question with vehemence. "