"'Tis well, my love; for your sorrow wrings my heart; to-day again I passed some fearful hours; this dream of fire recurs so often in spite of myself; and the storms alarm me; hark! I tremble at every sound." What cries are those so near and so loud? "Fire them! burn them! let them burn together!" A flash bursts through the old shutters; Françonnette rushes to the casement. Great Heaven! she sees the rick on fire, and a furious mob howling outside. "We must drive them out--the old hag and the young one; both have bewitched us!--Hence! child of perdition! hence, or burn in thy den!" Françonnette on her knees, with streaming eyes, exclaims, "Oh, pity for my poor old grandmother--do not kill her!" But the deluded populace, more confirmed than ever, by her haggard looks, that she is possessed, howl louder still--"Away with her!" and on they rush, brandishing flaming brands. "Hold--hold!" cried a voice, and Pascal sprang amongst them. "Cowards! would you murder two defenceless women! would you burn their dwelling, as if they had not suffered enough--tigers, that you are--already the walls are hot!" "Let the Huguenots quit the country: they are possessed by the demon. If they stay amongst us God will send down punishment. Let them go instantly, or we burn them!--Who presses forward there?" "Ha!" cried Pascal, "Marcel here! he is her enemy!" "Liar!" cried Marcel; "I love her better than thou, boaster as thou art! What wilt thou do for her--thou whose heart is so soft?" "I come to assist her--to defend her." "And I to be her husband, in spite of all, if she will be my wife." "I come for the same purpose," cried Pascal, without shrinking from his rival's regard; then turning to Françonnette, he said, with firmness, "Françonnette, you are safe no longer; these wretches will pursue you from village to village; but here are two who love you--two who would brave death, destruction, for your sake--can you choose between us?" "Oh, no, no! speak not of marriage. Pascal! my love is death--go! forget me! be happy without me! I dare not be yours!" "Happy without you! it is in vain: I love you too well; and if it be true that you are the prey of the evil one, 'twere better die with you than live away from you!" Doubtless, the beloved voice has power above all things over the softened heart: at the last step of misery we can dare all with desperate courage. Before the assembled crowd she exclaimed: "Oh, yes, Pascal, I do love you--I would have died alone; but, since you will have it so, I resist no longer. If it is our fate--we will die together." Pascal is in heaven--the crowd amazed--the soldier mute. Pascal approaches him. "I am," he said, "more fortunate than you; but you are brave, and will forgive me. To conduct me to my grave,[21] I require a friend--I have none--will you act the part of one?" [Footnote 21: Pascal conceives that, in wedding Françonnette, he is devoted to death.]