r her, but, what
with the cold and the early hour, the place was deserted; no idle gazers
such as a commotion leaves behind it were to be seen. The wind, however,
began to pierce his clothes; he had not brought his cloak, and he
shivered. He knocked more loudly.

Perhaps she had been called to her mother? That must be it. She had gone
upstairs and could not on the instant leave her charge. He clothed
himself in reproaches; but they did not warm him, and he was beginning
to stamp his feet again when, happening to look down, he saw beside the
water-can and partly hidden by its bulge, a packet about the size of a
letter, but a little thicker. If he had not mounted the steps with his
eyes on the windows, searching for her face, he would have seen it at
once, and spared himself these minutes of waiting. He took it up in
bewilderment, and turned it in his numbed hands; it was heavy, and from
it, leaving only a piece of paper in his grasp, his purse fell to the
ground. More and more astonished, he picked up the purse, and put it in
his pocket. He looked at the window, but no one showed; then at the
paper in his hand. Inside the letter were three lines of writing.

His face fell as he read them. "_I shall not admit you_," they ran.
"_If you try to enter, you will attract notice and destroy me. Go, and
God bless and reward you. You cannot save me, and to see you perish were
a worse pang than the worst._"

The words swam before his eyes. "I will beat down the door," he
muttered, tears in his voice, tears welling up in his heart and choking
him. And he raised his hand. "I will----"

But he did nothing. "_You will attract notice and destroy me._" Ah, she
had thought it out too well. Too well, out of the wisdom of great love,
she had known how to bridle him. He dared not do anything that would
direct notice to the house.

But desert her? Never; and after a moment's thought he drew off, his
plans formed. As he retired, when he had gone some yards from the door,
he heard the window closed sharply behind him. He looked back and saw
his cloak lying on the ground. Tears rose again to his eyes, as he
returned, took it up, donned it, and with a last lingering look at the
window, turned away. She would think that he had taken her at her word;
but no matter!

He walked along the Corraterie, and passing the four square watch-towers
with pointed roofs that stood at intervals along the wall, he came to
the two projecting demilunes, or ba