aid. "I have come to warn you. There is danger at hand.
The edicts are to be enforced again, and at once."

He looked at her, and shook his head.

"Nay, mademoiselle; we have the King's word."

"Tell him, then!" and she turned to me. "Monsieur, this is the Sieur
de Ferrieres, who has known me from childhood, and who refuses to
believe me--tell him what I say is true!"

I did so in ten words; but the King's word was the King's word to him,
and the fool was blind in his folly.

"Then take us to others who will hear," burst out mademoiselle; "in an
hour it may be too late; it may be too late even now."

"Surely," he replied, "I will take you to the meeting-place, for you
are of the flock, and the Lord is with us to-night; but you are
mistaken, that I know."

Mademoiselle glanced at me in despair as we followed him across the
hall, and down a stair that led to an underground passage. Along this
we went, and, our guide gently pushing open a door, we saw before us a
large room filled with people of both sexes. All were on their knees,
absorbed in prayer. At the upper end of the room was a raised
platform, and on this was a single figure, also kneeling, the face
covered by the hands.

A whispered "Stay here!" to me, and mademoiselle stepped forward,
gliding softly past the bowed figures to the right and left of her
until she came to the edge of the platform; and there, unable to
interrupt that silent prayer, she too knelt. So for a space, until at
last the pastor rose, and stood surveying the worshippers. For a
moment my glance rested curiously on the thin, ascetic face, full of
lofty resolve, and then with a rush memory came back to me, and I stood
as if lightning-struck. As he looked around my mind went back with a
leap to the days gone by, to that hideous morning when my hot hand had
struck a death-blow at my friend. It could not be he? And yet! I
stared and stared. Yes; it was Godefroy de la Mothe, the friend of my
youth, whom I had thought I had slain. There was never a doubt of it!
And there, as I stood, the mercy of God came to me, and the weight of a
great sin was lifted from my soul. For moments that seemed years all
was a dream, and there was a haze before my eyes. Through this I saw
mademoiselle arise and face the preacher; but I could not hear her
words, though I saw that she spoke quickly and eagerly. And as she
spoke there were whisperings and strange glancings amongst the people,
and t