less window
was furnished on the inside with an iron grating, which served to protect
the panes from being broken.

It was into this gloomy retreat, which formed so painful a contrast with
the charming little summer-house in the Rue de Babylone, that Adrienne
was carried by Tomboy, who, with the assistance of Gervaise, placed the
inanimate form on the bed. The lamp was deposited on the shelf at the
head of the couch. Whilst one of the nurses held her up, the other
unfastened and took off the cloth dress of the young girl, whose head
drooped languidly on her bosom. Though in a swoon, large tears trickled
slowly from her closed eyes, whose long black lashes threw their shadows
on the transparent whiteness of her cheeks. Over her neck and breast of
ivory flowed the golden waves of her magnificent hair, which had come
down at the time of her fall. When, as they unlaced her satin corset,
less soft, less fresh, less white than the virgin form beneath, which lay
like a statue of alabaster in its covering of lace and lawn, one of the
horrible hags felt the arms and shoulders of the young girl with her
large, red, horny, and chapped hands. Though she did not completely
recover the use of her senses, she started involuntarily from the rude
and brutal touch.

"Hasn't she little feet?" said the nurse, who, kneeling down, was
employed in drawing off Adrienne's stockings. "I could hold them both in
the hollow of my hand." In fact, a small, rosy foot, smooth as a child's,
here and there veined with azure, was soon exposed to view, as was also a
leg with pink knee and ankle, of as pure and exquisite a form as that of
Diana Huntress.

"And what hair!" said Tomboy; "so long and soft!--She might almost walk
upon it. 'Twould be a pity to cut it off, to put ice upon her skull!" As
she spoke, she gathered up Adrienne's magnificent hair, and twisted it as
well as she could behind her head. Alas! it was no longer the fair, light
hand of Georgette, Florine, or Hebe that arranged the beauteous locks of
their mistress with so much love and pride!

And as she again felt the rude touch of the nurse's hand, the young girl
was once more seized with the same nervous trembling, only more
frequently and strongly than before. And soon, whether by a sort of
instinctive repulsion, magnetically excited during her swoon, or from the
effect of the cold night air, Adrienne again started and slowly came to
herself.

It is impossible to describe her alarm,