All this had been stored by him beforehand under the sofa.

He had only just got the pledge out when he heard someone suddenly about in the yard.
"It struck six long ago." "Long ago! My God!" He rushed to the door, listened, caught up his hat and began to descend his thirteen steps cautiously, noiselessly, like a cat.

He had still the most important thing to do--to steal the axe from the kitchen.

That the deed must be done with an axe he had decided long ago.

He had also a pocket pruning-knife, but he could not rely on the knife and still less on his own strength, and so resolved finally on the axe.