in front of him, murmured unintelligible words, and
gesticulated with his hands, as if warding off something hostile from
him; his mind appeared to be tormented by evil thoughts. Thus he
behaved during the course of one whole morning. Finally he sat down to
his work-table; but he soon leapt up again peevishly and looked out of
the window, saying moodily and earnestly, 'I wish after all that
Henrietta of England had worn my ornaments.' These words struck terror
to my heart. Now I knew that his warped mind was again enslaved by the
abominable spectre of murder, and that the voice of the fiend was again
ringing audibly in his ears. I saw your life was threatened by the
villainous demon of murder. If Cardillac only had his ornaments in his
hands again, you were saved.

"Every moment the danger increased. Then I met you on the Pont Neuf,
and forced my way to your carriage, and threw you that note, beseeching
you to restore the ornaments which you had received to Cardillac's
hands at once. You did not come. My distress deepened to despair when
on the following day Cardillac talked about nothing else but the
magnificent ornaments which he had seen before his eyes during the
night. I could only interpret that as having reference to your
jewellery, and I was certain that he was brooding over some fresh
murderous onslaught which he had assuredly determined to put into
execution during the coming night. I must save you, even if it cost
Cardillac's own life. So soon as he had locked himself in his own room
after evening prayers, according to his wont, I climbed out of a window
into the court-yard, slipped through the opening in the wall, and took
up my station at no great distance, hidden in the deep shade. I had not
long to wait before Cardillac appeared and stole softly up the street,
me following him. He bent his steps towards the Rue St. Honore; my
heart trembled with apprehension. All of a sudden I lost sight of him.
I made up my mind to take post at your house-door. Then there came an
officer past me, without perceiving me, singing and gaily humming a
tune to himself, as on the occasion when chance first made me a witness
of Cardillac's bloody deeds. But that selfsame moment a dark figure
leapt forward and fell upon the officer. It was Cardillac. This murder
I would at any rate prevent. With a loud shout I reached the spot in
two or three bounds, when, not the officer, but Cardillac, fell on the
floor groaning. The officer l