"Enter, then!" With these words the door swung back, and one by one we passed in, I being the last. The door was immediately closed and barred after us, and we found ourselves in the presence of a small, pale-faced man, who peered at us with blinking eyes. The two strangers went on at once, after a word of greeting; but, throwing back her hood, mademoiselle placed her hand on the arm of the little man, saying: "Ferrieres, do you not know me?" His dim eyes searched her through the dim light, and an exclamation broke from him. "Mademoiselle! You! There will be many a glad face to-night. Almost all of us are here." "Hush!" she said. "I have come to warn you. There is danger at hand. The edicts are to be enforced again, and at once." He looked at her, and shook his head. "Nay, mademoiselle; we have the King's word." "Tell him, then!" and she turned to me. "Monsieur, this is the Sieur de Ferrieres, who has known me from childhood, and who refuses to believe me--tell him what I say is true!" I did so in ten words; but the King's word was the King's word to him, and the fool was blind in his folly. "Then take us to others who will hear," burst out mademoiselle; "in an hour it may be too late; it may be too late even now." "Surely," he replied, "I will take you to the meeting-place, for you are of the flock, and the Lord is with us to-night; but you are mistaken, that I know." Mademoiselle glanced at me in despair as we followed him across the hall, and down a stair that led to an underground passage. Along this we went, and, our guide gently pushing open a door, we saw before us a large room filled with people of both sexes. All were on their knees, absorbed in prayer. At the upper end of the room was a raised platform, and on this was a single figure, also kneeling, the face covered by the hands.