“Tavernay!” cried M. le Comte, a great light in his eyes. “And Pasdeloup! Ah, I understand now why you lingered!” and he held out a hand to each of us. “We thought you dead! We thought the flames had caught you!” “Come,” said Pasdeloup. “This is no time for words.” “You are right,” agreed his master. “Tavernay, I again entrust Charlotte to you.” I crossed to her, took her hands in mine and drew her to me. “I thought you dead,” she murmured, raising brimming eyes to mine. “I thought you had stayed too long;” and I felt how she was trembling. “Come!” cried Pasdeloup again; “there is a hiding-place, if we can only reach it;” and he glanced anxiously over his shoulder. I drew my love forward, my arm still about her. “We are going to escape,” I murmured in her ear. “We are going to be very happy. God intends it.” She looked up into my eyes and smiled tremulously. I could guess how near she was to absolute exhaustion and did my best to shield her. Our way for a time led over a smooth meadow, then we plunged into the rocky bed of a brook which mounted so steeply that our progress was very slow. The way grew more and more rough, great boulders blocked the path, and on either side the banks of the torrent rose abruptly to a height of many feet. Then, from far down the valley behind us, came the bay of a hound. M. le Comte stopped and listened. “I know that sound,” he said. “That is Roland. What can he be hunting?” “He is hunting his master,” answered Pasdeloup grimly. “Goujon devised that trick.” “Goujon!” murmured M. le Comte. “Always Goujon.” “It was he trained the dog,” added Pasdeloup. “Come; we are losing time.” “The women cannot go much farther along such a road as this,” his master warned him. “We have not far to go--just around that turn yonder, and we are safe.” Suddenly behind us rose a chorus of savage yells. “They have seen us!” said M. le Comte. I drew my companion to me and half carried her up the steep slope over which in rainy weather the torrent plunged. Pasdeloup had already reached the top. As I looked back I saw a mob of men clambering savagely over the rocks below. At that instant M. le Comte panted up with madame in his arms. “There!” he said with a smile of triumph, as he placed her on her feet. “That is accomplished! For the moment we are safe. They will never dare----” A single musket shot rang out. I saw the smoke drift slowly up, and at the same instant madame staggered and fell into her husband’s outstretched arms. “What is it?” he cried. “Oh, my love! My love!” [Illustration: AS I LOOKED BACK I SAW A MOB OF MEN CLAMBERING SAVAGELY OVER THE ROCKS BELOW] Her eyes were open and she was gazing fondly up at him. She tried to speak, but could not. Her lips were flecked with blood. Then her eyes closed, her arm fell limp. It had happened so suddenly that I could not realize it--could not believe it. “Come,” said Pasdeloup again, and touched his master’s arm. M. le Comte lifted to us a face convulsed.