The next day, instead of returning, Dossonville sought out Barabant, obtaining from the frantic lover a letter to Nicole, which he had delivered by the medium of Schmidt. Each day, ignoring the demands the girl sent him by the jailer, Dossonville repeated the same tactics, confident in the power of lovers' logic to sway her finally. One misfortune disturbed his triumph. On the day following Javogues's death, Louison informed him of the execution of Goursac. Dossonville, who from his fruitless efforts to save the Girondin had retained a deep sentiment of admiration for him, was much affected by the news, and yielding to his anger, scoured the city for traces of the three Tapedures. But despite the most diligent search in café, market, and boulevard, not a sign nor an echo could he find of the former despots. On the ninth day of Nicole's imprisonment, Schmidt handed him a word from the girl, promising to reason over the decision. But Dossonville, though encouraged, divined that she would meet him with fresh arguments, and absented himself, until at the end of a week he received a second message: "I renounce. Come." Then, satisfied, he mounted to her room, grumbling to himself: "Mordieu! one can't talk forever of dying when one is young and is loved!" To his alarm, she received him without protestations, while her eyes, as they regarded him sadly, conceded the victory, but reproached him for the means. "I must see him," she said simply. "Take me to him." "What then?" Dossonville questioned, suspicious of her calm. "I will do nothing to endanger his life." "It is a promise?" "I promise to do nothing that will endanger his life," she repeated carefully. "She is still determined to sacrifice herself," he thought. "Mordieu! what an idea! Barabant will make her forget." That night, toward eleven, he conducted the girl to Les Madelonnettes and restored her to Barabant. Only the lantern of the jailer lighted the sleeping halls as Nicole, with a cry, flew to her lover's arms. In their happiness they forgot their protector; but Dossonville, well content, withdrew, drawing after him the guard. "You seem different," Barabant said at last. "What is it?" "I have been away from you." "How could you think of sacrificing yourself?" he said reproachfully. "I was away from you," she repeated. "You are here as my wife," he whispered. "Citoyenne Barabant, you understand?" "Yes." "But what is the matter? Why do you cry?" "It is from joy," she said. * * * * *