His eyes were fixed on the cousins; he was very pale, and the twitchings or contortions, which must have been involuntary whenever he was agitated, convulsed his whole body.
"He made a long pause.

'I will save mademoiselle and monsieur, if she will go straight from prison to the mairie, and be my wife.' "'Your wife!' Jacques could not help exclaiming, 'That she will never be--never!' "'Ask her!' said Morin, hoarsely.
"But almost before Jacques thought he could have fairly uttered the words, Clement caught their meaning.
"'Begone!' said he; 'not one word more.' Virginie touched the old man as he was moving away.

'Tell him he does not know how he makes me welcome death.' And smiling, as if triumphant, she turned again to Clement.
"The stranger did not speak as Jacques gave him the meaning, not the words, of their replies.

He was going away, but stopped.

A minute or two afterwards, he beckoned to Jacques.