A shuddering cry went up from the crowd, and then all was still. Once we saw the dwarf, a dim figure, rise through the flames, and wave an arm wildly, and then he vanished in the roaring fire. * * * * * My tale is done. It is not for me to tell the history of the time, or to relate how the coming of the Constable gave a breath of peace to my afflicted land. It is sufficient for me to say that, after the death of Achon, the one enemy who would have troubled to harm me was removed. As for the others, those whom I had betrayed to their death, and whom God saved from their peril, they let me drop into oblivion. Here to my own halls of Vibrac did I return. Here have I hidden my shame. Here have I learned to repent. Who shall know the hours of agony, the days, the years of penitence and bitter remorse that I have passed? No man! But there is One who knows, One at whose feet I have knelt and humbled myself with tears of blood; and He who despised not the thief on the Cross will, perhaps, have mercy upon a broken and a contrite heart. THE END TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: On pages 1 and 280, chateaux has been changed to châteaux. On page 5, added “my” missed by typesetter. On page 37, Conde has been changed to Condé. On page 52, dais has been changed to daïs. On page 124, Chatelet has been changed to Châtelet. On page 157, Chatillon has been changed to Châtillon. On page 225, Bailleul has been changer to Baillieul. On page 226, Crequy has been changed to Crequi. On page 294, ansewred has been changed to answered. Minor, silent changes have been made to clarify punctuation. All other spelling, hyphenation and non-English words and phrases have been left as typeset.