The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 45 (1/2)
La Roulante immediately seized her and pulled her back Robeccal ran in
The girl struggled until, breathless and exhausted, she was thrown on the floor
”Give me that bottle!” said La Roulante
Robeccal understood, as did poor Francine, who resolutely closed her lips The ers, while the woirl's throat, who in another moment lay unconscious
Then La Roulante and Robeccal put the roo out, closed the door and returned to their wine below They began to play cards, while waiting for the arrival of Frederic, from whom they had received the note
The weather was still stormy, and about six o'clock Frederic, wrapped in a cloak, arrived As soon as he rapped on the door the giantess opened it, but barred all passage
”Have you the ive iantess, with erated respect, pointed to the stairs
As soon as Talizac had left the lower floor, she turned to Robeccal
”And noill make ourselves scarce!”
Hardly had the door closed on their retreating forh the house Talizac rushed froirl had disappeared
CHAPTER xxxII
SURPRISES
By what miracle had Francine vanished? How could she with her frail strength escape from that room, situated as we have said on the second floor of this house, and froarden surrounded on all sides by walls which no ave Francine the narcotic, they in their eagerness gave her too irl was utterly prostrated She lay for an hour motionless while her jailers played cards and drank; and then her pulse began to flutter and nervous contractions shook her frail form, still she did not open her eyes Her brain was over-excited Suddenly she started up with eyes wide open, but eyes that saw not She moved slowly and noiselessly Did she reason? Not in the least Instinct was her only guide
Have you ever when half asleep heard the saain? In Francine's brain the words ”too late! too late!” were repeated with the regularity of a penduluirl had believed for a few ht now haunted her vaguely She placed her feet on the floor, then glided toward the door She tried it and found it locked She turned to the ; she slowly and gently opened the blinds, and then stepped upon the cornice outside; then she feels her way down to another projection where she places one foot and then the other until she finds herself on the ground She then glides on until she reaches the wall
Ah! child, it is useless for you to try! Not so! The clinging vines forht She reaches the top of the wall, and easily descends on the other side She is saved! But she does not know this, and her pale lips ? Ah! she knows not She feels no fatigue, but goes on and on She has crossed the outer Boulevard, and h the noded streets, where no one see is so thick that she is but die over the Saint Martin Canal; here she stops, and leaning over the parapet see below While she stands there, ill see what is taking place in the house she has left
Robeccal and La Roulante when they left the house, went to take the diligence in the Rue Saint Denis Their plans had been long made; theytheir way through the fog, when suddenly Robeccal was lifted fro some distance, while a voice shouted:
”Scoundrel! I have you at last!”
At the saiantess to the spot where she stood The tretches gasped out the names:
”Fanfar! Bobi+chel!”
”Where is Francine?” said Fanfar, sternly
La Roulante laughed, and would not reply