han his words, and some of these days they will avenge their
father, mother, and sister!"

"Your horrible expectations, mother, will never be fulfilled," replied
the indignant Martial; "neither my young brother, sister, nor self have
anything to fear from want. La Louve saved the life of the young girl
Nicholas tried to drown, and the relations of the young person offered
us either a large sum of money or a smaller sum and some land at
Algiers; we preferred the latter, and to-morrow we quit Europe, with the
children, for ever."

"Is that absolutely true?" asked the widow of Martial, in a tone of
angry surprise.

"Mother, when did I ever tell you a falsehood?"

"You are doing so now to try and put me into a passion!"

"What, displeased to learn that your children are provided for?"

"Yes, to find that my young wolves are to be turned into lambs, and to
hear that the blood of father, mother, and sister have no prospect of
being avenged!"

"Do not talk so--at a moment like this!"

"I have murdered, and am murdered in my turn,--the account is even, at
any rate."

"Mother, mother, let me beseech you to repent ere you die!"

Again a peal of fiendish laughter burst from the pallid lips of the
condemned woman.

"For thirty years," cried she, "have I lived in crime; would you have me
believe that thirty years' guilt is to be repented of in three days,
with the mind disturbed and distracted by the near approach of death?
No, no, three days cannot effect such wonders; and I tell you, when my
head falls its last expression will be rage and hatred!"

"Brother, brother," ejaculated Calabash, whose brain began to wander,
"help, help! Take me from hence," moaned she in an expiring voice; "they
are coming to fetch me--to kill me! Oh, hide me, dear brother, hide me,
and I will love you ever more!"

"Will you hold your tongue?" cried the widow, exasperated at the
weakness betrayed by her daughter. "Will you be silent? Oh, you base,
you disgraceful creature! And to think that I should be obliged to call
myself your parent!"

"Mother," exclaimed Martial, nearly distracted by this horrid scene,
"will you tell me why you sent for me?"

"Because I thought to give you heart and hatred; but he who has not the
one cannot entertain the other. Go, coward, go!"

At this moment a loud sound of many footsteps was heard in the corridor;
the old soldier looked at his watch.

A rich ray of the golden brightness, which marked the ris