d the idea of going to the
ball and there avenging herself.

"Do you take me for an idiot with your sermon against dancing?"
continued Montauran. "Wouldn't you yourself dance a reed if it would
restore your order under its new name of Fathers of the Faith? Don't
you know that Bretons come away from the mass and go to dancing? Are you
aware that Messieurs Hyde de Neuville and d'Andigne had a conference,
five days ago, with the First Consul, on the question of restoring his
Majesty Louis XVIII.? Ah, monsieur, the princes are deceived as to the
true state of France. The devotions which uphold them are solely those
of rank. Abbe, if I have set my feet in blood, at least I will not go
into it to my middle without full knowledge of what I do. I am devoted
to the king, but not to four hot-heads, not to a man crippled with debt
like Rifoel, not to 'chauffeurs,' not to--"

"Say frankly, monsieur, not to abbes who force contributions on the
highway to carry on the war," retorted the Abbe Gudin.

"Why should I not say it?" replied the marquis, sharply; "and I'll say,
further, that the great and heroic days of La Vendee are over."

"Monsieur le marquis, we can perform miracles without you."

"Yes, like that of Marie Lambrequin, whom I hear you have brought to
life," said the marquis, smiling. "Come, come, let us have no rancor,
abbe. I know that you run all risks and would shoot a Blue as readily as
you say an _oremus_. God willing, I hope to make you assist with a mitre
on your head at the king's coronation."

This last remark must have had some magic power, for the click of a
musket was heard as the abbe exclaimed, "I have fifty cartridges in my
pocket, monsieur le marquis, and my life is the king's."

"He's a debtor of mine," whispered the usurer to Marie. "I don't mean
the five or six hundred crowns he has borrowed, but a debt of blood
which I hope to make him pay. He can never suffer as much evil as I wish
him, the damned Jesuit! He swore the death of my brother, and raised
the country against him. Why? Because the poor man was afraid of the new
laws." Then, after applying his ear to another part of his hiding-place,
he added, "They are all decamping, those brigands. I suppose they are
going to do some other miracle elsewhere. I only hope they won't bid me
good-bye as they did the last time, by setting fire to my house."

After the lapse of about half an hour, during which time the usurer and
Mademoiselle de Verneuil l