She shot a fearful glance at the retreating figure of her father, whilst Gilles--the executioner--hissed sharply into his ear: "Mille diables! be still, man.

You are dead." Thus did he escape, and thus was he borne--a limp, agonised, and bleeding mass, to the house of Duhamel.

The old schoolmaster received them with tears in his eyes--nor were they altogether tears of sorrow, for all that poor Caron's mangled condition grieved him sorely; they were in a measure tears of thankfulness; for Duhamel had not dared hope to see the young man alive again.
At the pedagogue's door stood a berline, and within his house there was a visitor.

This was a slight young man of medium stature, who had not the appearance of more than twenty-five years of age, for all that, as a matter of fact, he was just over thirty.

He was dressed with so scrupulous a neatness as to convey, in spite of the dark colour of his garments, an impression almost of foppishness.