"Hold yourself in readiness.

At three o'clock come for me and I will give you a lesson.
And remember there is a merciful God for the brave!" Although Florent deserved praise for the cheerfulness of which his reply was proof, the first moments which he spent alone after the departure of his two witnesses were very painful.
That which Chapron experienced during those few moments was simply very natural anxiety, the enervation caused by looking at the clock, and saying: "In twenty-four hours the hand will be on this point of the dial.

And shall I still be living ?"....

He was, however, manly, and knew how to control himself.

He struggled against the feeling of weakness, and, while awaiting the time to rejoin his friends, he resolved to write his last wishes.