"Pierre let Edmee talk. She was too excited to remain quiet. He listened without saying much, though his mind was terribly full. How were they to accomplish the journey to Valmont? Penniless to begin with, and almost afraid to spend money if they had had it! How could Edmee ever make the journey on foot, and almost worst, Edmond, of whom Pierre had never thought? His presence, too, made the risk greater, for, as his father's son, there must be many to hate him, and notwithstanding his pity for the boy, Pierre foresaw trouble. Edmond had scarcely spoken to him, and even through his misery there flashed out sparks of his old ill-feeling. "There came again a knock at the door. "`It must be our kind priest,' said Edmee. "Pierre started up joyfully, `Let me speak to him,' he said. And in his heart he added, `Here will be some one to give me counsel.'" CHAPTER ELEVEN. "Pierre opened the door, but in an instant he saw it was not the priest. A woman in dark clothing, her face half concealed by a veil or handkerchief of some kind, which she had muffled round her head, stood before him. She was coming forward as if to enter without speaking, when, glancing upwards, she perceived that he was not, as she had imagined, Edmond. She fell back startled, but instantly recovering herself. "`Who may you be, citizen?' she said, in a hard, cold tone, which had little gentleness in it, and then she added in a lower voice, `Mind you, if you are another aristocrat in disguise, come to take refuge here, I will have nothing to do with you. I have enough on my hands, and so have they,' nodding towards the door, where the poor dead lady was lying, `in there.' "Pierre looked at her quietly. "`I am Pierre Germain,' he said. `I have seen you once before, Marguerite Ribou.' "The girl, or woman rather, for she had grown tall, and was finely proportioned, threw back her veil. Her beautiful dark face grew deathly pale, and she staggered back against the wall. "`Forgive me!' she said; `I have never forgotten you, though there are times my poor brain aches with remembering,' and she passed her hand across her forehead with a gesture that reminded Pierre of what Edmee had said of her. `All is wrong,' continued Marguerite; `there is no right, no good anywhere! But I waste precious moments. It is well you have come, for it is only just in time--they must fly; well or ill, they must fly at once. Tell me, how is the Countess?' "`She is dead,' replied Pierre simply. "One or two large tears gathered in the girl's eyes, and slowly rolled down her face. But all she said was, `It is well.' "Then Pierre stepped back to let her pass in. "`You will see Mademoiselle?' he said. "Marguerite hesitated. "`It is as I said!' she exclaimed hurriedly. `She must start at once--_at once_, I say--if she would not share the fate of her uncle and aunt!' "`How can we persuade her to leave _her_--the Countess!' said Pierre, in despair.