Part 44 (1/2)

But now the phanto close beside her, and he told her that the chief had selected hist all the others to stand by him inside the walls of Paris until the last

”I shall mayhap,” thus closed that precious docu definitely whether you will act in accordance with this letter But somehow, Armand, I know that you will”

”I know that you will, Aruerite fervently

She had only been too eager to be convinced; the dread and dark suspicion which had been like a hideous poisoned sting had only vaguely touched her soul; it had not gone in very deeply How could it, when in its death-dealing passage it encountered the ra to read his sister's thoughts in the depths of her blue eyes, found the look in thee to Armand had reassured her just as he had intended that it should do Fate had dealt over harshly with her as it was, and Blakeney's remorse for the sorrohich he had already caused her, was scarcely less keen than Armand's He did not wish her to bear the intolerable burden of hatred against her brother; and by binding St Just close to hier he hoped to prove to the woman whom he loved so passionately that Armand orthy of trust

PART III

CHAPTER xxxV THE LAST PHASE

”Well? How is it now?”

”The last phase, I think”

”He will yield?”

”He h; those English are tough”

”It takes time to hack them to pieces, perhaps In this case even you, citizen Chauvelin, said that it would take time Well, it has taken just seventeen days, and now the end is in sight”

It was close on ave on the innererie Heron had just visited the prisoner as was his wont at this hour of the night He had watched the changing of the guard, inspected the night-watch, questioned the sergeant in charge, and finally he had been on the point of retiring to his o quarters in the house of Justice, in the near vicinity of the Conciergerie, when citizen Chauvelin entered the guard-rooue with the peremptory question:

”How is it now?”

”If you are so near the end, citizen Heron,” he now said, sinking his voice to a whisper, ”why not ht?”

”I wish I could; the anxiety is wearing me out more'n him,” added with a jerky movement of the head in direction of the inner cell

”Shall I try?” rejoined Chauvelin gri liuard-rooiant whose body had been carelessly and loosely put together by a 'prentice hand in the art of manufacture

His broad shoulders were bent, probably under the weight of anxiety to which he had referred, and his head, with the lank, shaggy hair overshadowing the broas sunk deep down on his chest

Chauvelin looked on his friend and associate with no small measure of contempt He would no doubt have preferred to conclude the present difficult transaction entirely in his oay and alone; but equally there was no doubt that the Committee of Public Safety did not trust him quite so fully as it used to do before the fiasco at Calais and the blunders of Boulogne Heron, on the other hand, enjoyed to its outerues; his ferocious cruelty and his callousness ell knohilst physically, owing to his great height and bulky if loosely knit frae over his tri of prisoners to trial was concerned, the chief agent of the Coiven a perfectly free hand by the decree of the 27th Nivose At first, therefore, he had experienced no difficulty when he desired to keep the English on that summary trial and condemnation which the populace had loudly demanded, and to which they felt that they were entitled to as a public holiday The death of the Scarlet Piuillotine had been a spectacle proue who desired to purchase a few votes by holding out visions of pleasant doings to co the first few days the hts of expectation