ering she faced the
five men, while the thunder, growing more distant, rolled sullenly
eastward, and the midnight rain, pouring from every spout and dripping
eave about the house, wrapped the passage in its sibilant hush. Gradually
her eyes dominated his, gradually her nobler nature and nobler aim
subdued his weaker parts. For she understood now; and he saw that she
did, and had he been alone he would have slunk away, and said no word in
his defence.

But one of the men, savage and out of patience, thrust himself between
them.

"Where is he?" he muttered. "What is the use of this? Where is he?" And
his bloodshot eyes--it was Tuez-les-Moines--questioned the doors, while
his hand, trembling and shaking on the haft of his knife, bespoke his
eagerness. "Where is he? Where is he, woman? Quick, or--"

"I shall not tell you," she answered.

"You lie," he cried, grinning like a dog. "You will tell us! Or we will
kill you too! Where is he? Where is he?"

"I shall not tell you," she repeated, standing before him in the
fearlessness of scorn. "Another step and I rouse the house! M. de
Tignonville, to you who know me, I swear that if this man does not
retire--"

"He is in one of these rooms?" was Tignonville's answer. "In which? In
which?"

"Search them!" she answered, her voice low, but biting in its contempt.
"Try them. Rouse my women, alarm the house! And when you have his
people at your throats--five as they will be to one of you--thank your
own mad folly!"

Tuez-les-Moines' eyes glittered. "You will not tell us?" he cried.

"No!"

"Then--"

But as the fanatic sprang on her, La Tribe flung his arms round him and
dragged him back.

"It would be madness," he cried. "Are you mad, fool? Have done!" he
panted, struggling with him. "If Madame gives the alarm--and he may be
in any one of these four rooms, you cannot be sure which--we are undone."
He looked for support to Tignonville, whose movement to protect the girl
he had anticipated, and who had since listened sullenly. "We have
obtained what we need. Will you requite Madame, who has gained it for us
at her own risk--"

"It is Monsieur I would requite," Tignonville muttered grimly.

"By using violence to her?" the minister retorted passionately. He and
Tuez were still gripping one another. "I tell you, to go on is to risk
what we have got! And I for one--"

"Am chicken-hearted!" the young man sneered. "Madame--" He seemed to
choke