Part 11 (2/2)

She did not restrain her tears; with her they caathered in her eyes and rolled down her fresh cheeks they in no way ering a diminutive bit of cambric, which from time to time she pressed to her eyes The other she had almost unconsciously yielded to Armand

The scent of the violets filled the roo attribute of her young, wholly unsophisticated girlhood The citizen was goodly to look at; he was kneeling at her feet, and his lips were pressed against her hand

Ar and he was an idealist I do not for a ine that just at thishad not yet risen up in hiht passion to suddenhi moment, with all the abandonment, all the enthusiasm of the Latin race There was no reason why he should not bend the knee before this exquisite little ca him an hour of perfect pleasure and of aesthetic joy

Outside the world continued its hideous, relentless way; ht and hated Here in this small old-world salon, with its faded satins and bits of ivory-tinted lace, the outer universe had never really penetrated It was a tiny world--quite apart from the rest of mankind, perfectly peaceful and absolutely beautiful

If Ar been the cause as well as the chief actor in the events that followed, no doubt that Made memory with him, an exquisite bouquet of violets pressed reverently between the leaves of a favourite book of poe floould in after years have ever brought her dainty picture to hispretty words of endearment; carried away by emotion, his arm stole round her waist; he felt that if another tear ca down her cheek he must kiss it away at its very source

Passion was not sweeping the, and life had not as yet presented to them its most unsolvable probleti for Love, which would cori face was at last lifted up to hers asking with mute lips for that first kiss which she already was prepared to give, there ca up the old oak stairs, then so, a wo, wide-eyed, and in obvious terror, ca into the room

”Jeanne! Jeanne! My child! It is awful! It is awful! Mon Dieu--mon Dieu!

What is to beco even as she ran in, and now she threw her apron over her face and sank into a chair, continuing herand her lamentations

Neither Maderaven ie eyes fixed upon his face They had neither of them looked on the old woman; they seemed even now unconscious of her presence But their ears had caught the sound of that measured tramp of feet up the stairs of the old house, and the halt upon the landing; they had heard the brief words of command:

”Open, in the name of the people!”

They knew quite hat it all meant; they had not wandered so far in the realri them back to earth

That pereue these days to a dra acts: arrest, which was a certainty; the guillotine, which waspeople who but a o had tentatively lifted the veil of life, looked straight into each other's eyes and saw the hand of death interposed between theht into each other's eyes and knew that nothing but the hand of death would part them now Love had come with its attendant, Sorrow; but he had come with no uncertain footsteps Jeanne looked on thekiss upon her hand

”Aunt Marie!”

It was Jeanne Lange who spoke, but her voice was no longer that of an irresponsible child; it was firh she spoke to the old woman, she did not look at her; her luminous brown eyes rested on the bowed head of Armand St Just

”Aunt Marie!” she repeated more peremptorily, for the old wo, and unconscious of all save an over fear

”Open, in the name of the people!” came in a loud harsh voice once more from the other side of the front door

”Aunt Marie, as you value your life and ether,”

said Jeanne firmly

”What shall we do? Oh! what shall we do?” ed the apron away froentle little Jeanne, who had suddenly becoe, so dictatorial, all unlike her habitual sohtest fear, Aunt Marie, if you will only do as I tell you,” resuive way to fear, we are all of us undone As you value your life and ether, and do as I tell you”

The girl's firmness, her perfect quietude had the desired effect Madah still shaken up with sobs of terror, reat effort to master herself; she stood up, smoothed down her apron, passed her hand over her ruffled hair, and said in a quaking voice:

”What do you think we had better do?”

”Go quietly to the door and open it”