"THEY SAY," said Von Apsberg, with hesitation, "that some traitor has insinuated himself among us and betrayed us to the secret police--that he has sold us to our enemies, and that the arrests of our brothers are the fruits of his treason." "Who is that man?" said Monte-Leone. "Who is he?" said Von Apsberg, and his very heart grew cold. "Yes! who? who is he?" said Monte-Leone. Von Apsberg was about to speak; the bolt was about to fall. His two friends ceased almost to breathe, when the door of the room was rung violently. "Who can it be at this hour?" said d'Harcourt. "I cannot tell," said the Doctor, "I expect no one." The bell was rung again. "Some patient, perhaps," said Monte-Leone. "Go at once. A doctor should always be prompt to attend such calls." "But," said d'Harcourt, "what if it be an officer?" "Then there is an additional reason for answering the bell," said Monte-Leone. Von Apsberg left the room, closing the door after him and hurrying into the anteroom, saw before him Mlle. Celestine Crepineau. The three friends listened at the door Von Apsberg had closed, to ascertain who called. "Excuse me, Doctor," said Mlle. Crepineau, "but the matter was so urgent." "What?" "This note, which a very pleasant person, fair as you are, but not so handsome, asked me to deliver at once." "Very well," said the Doctor, who took the note and shut the door in Mlle.'s face. "Now that is not polite," said she. "After all, though, he may have been engaged in some operation when I rang, and he may have been very much annoyed by the interruption." Von Apsberg read the letter which had been given him hurriedly and uttered an exclamation of joy. When he rejoined his friends, he said, "God has come to our assistance." "What is the matter?" asked all of them. "Nothing that concerns us," said the Doctor, seeking to disguise his trouble; "I have an appointment which is strictly private." "Tell me, then," said Monte-Leone, "who is accused of having betrayed us." "I do not know," said Von Apsberg, at once changing his tone. "No one can say who he is." D'Harcourt and Taddeo looked at him with surprise. The Count said, "I thought our secret enemy, or the person pointed out as such, was known to you." "He is not," said the Doctor, looking significantly at his friends. "None know who he is." "Then," said Monte-Leone, "we must seek him out and reach him wherever he is." "If we discover him," said Von Apsberg, "what shall be his fate." "Our statutes provide for that case," said Monte-Leone; "he shall share his victim's fate. If our brethren die, so shall he." "He shall die," said the _Carbonari_.