stare with which the stranger was regarding
Monsieur and Mademoiselle de Créquy, as
the pair sat at breakfast,—the said breakfast
being laid as well as Jacques knew how,
on a bench fastened into the prison wall,
—Virginie sitting on her low stool, and Clément ,
half lying on the ground by her side, and
submitting gladly to be fed by her pretty
white fingers; for it was one of her fancies,
Jacques said, to do all she could for him, in
consideration of his broken arm. And indeed
Clément was wasting away daily; for he had
received other injuries, internal and more
serious than that to his arm, during the
melee which had ended in his capture. The
stranger made Jacques conscious of his
presence by a sigh, which was almost a groan.
All three prisoners looked round at the
sound. Clément's face expressed little but
scornful indifference; but Virginie's face
froze into stony hate. Jacques said he never
saw such a look, and hoped that he never
should again. Yet after that first revelation
of feeling, her look was steady and fixed in
another direction to that in which the
stranger stood,—still motionless—still watching.
He came a step nearer at last.

"'Mademoiselle,' he said. Not the quivering
of an eyelash showed that she heard him.
'Mademoiselle!' he said again, with an
intensity of beseeching that made Jacques—not
knowing who he was—almost pity him when
he saw his young lady's obdurate face.

"There was perfect silence for a space of
time which Jacques could not measure.
Then again the voice, hesitatingly, saying,
'Monsieur!' Clément could not hold the
same icy countenance as Virginie; he turned
his head with an impatient gesture of disgust;
but even that emboldened the man.

"'Monsieur, do ask Mademoiselle to listen
to me,—just two words! '

"'Mademoiselle de Créquy only listens to
whom she chooses.'Very haughtily my
Clément would say that, I am sure.

"'But, Mademoiselle,'—lowering his voice,
and coming a step or two nearer. Virginie
must have felt his approach, though she did
not see it; for she drew herself a little on one
side, so as to put as much space as possible
between him and her. 'Mademoiselle, it is
not too late. I can save you; but to–morrow
your name is down on the list. I can. save
you, if you will listen.'

"Still no word or sign. Jacques did not
understand the affair. Why was she so
obdurate to one who might be ready to
include Clément in the proposal, as far as
Jacques knew?

"'The man withdrew a little, but did not
offer to leave the prison. He never took his
eyes off Virginie; he seemed to be suffering
from some acute and terrible pain as he
watched her.

"Jacques cleared away the breakfast–
things as well as he could. Purposely, as I
suspect, he passed near the man.

"'Hist!' said the stranger. 'You are
Jacques, the gardener, arrested for assisting
an aristocrat. I know the gaoler. You shall
escape, if you will. Only take this message
from me to Mademoiselle. You heard. She
will not listen to me; I did not want her to
come here. I never knew she was here, and
she will die to–morrow. They will put her
beautiful, round throat under the guillotine.
Tell her, good old man, tell her how sweet
life is; and how I can save her; and how I
will not ask for more than just to see her
from time to time. She is so young; and
death is annihilation, you know. Why does
she hate me so? I want to save her; I have
done her no harm. Good old man, tell her
how terrible death is; and that she will die
to–morrow, unless she listens to me.'

"Jacques saw no harm in repeating this
message. Clément listened in silence, watching
Virginie with an air of infinite tenderness.

"'Will you not try him, my cherished
one?' he said. 'Towards you he may mean
well '(which makes me think that Virginie
had never repeated to Clément the conversation
which she had overheard that last night
at Madame Babette's); 'you would be in
no–worse a situation than you were before! '

"'No worse, Clément! and I should have
known what you were, and have, lost you.
My Clément! 'said she, reproachfully.

"'Ask him,' said she, turning to Jacques,
suddenly, 'if he can save Monsieur de Créquy
as well,—if he can! O, Clément, we might
escape to England; we are but young. 'And
she hid her face on his shoulder.

"Jacques returned to the stranger, and
asked him Virginie's question. His eyes
were fixed on the cousins; he was very pale,
and the twitchings or contortions, which must
have been involuntary whenever he was
agitated, convulsed his whole body.

"He made a long pause. 'I will save
mademoiselle and monsieur, if she will go
straight from prison to the mairie, and be my
wife.'

"'Your wife!' Jacques could not help exclaiming.
'That she will never be—never !'

"'Ask her!' said Morin, hoarsely.

"But almost before Jacques thought he
could have fairly uttered the words, Clément
caught their meaning.

"'Begone!' said he; 'not one word more.'
Virginie touched the old man as he was
moving away. 'Tell him he does not know
how he makes me welcome Death. And
smiling, as if triumphant, she turned again to
Clément.

"'The stranger did not speak as Jacques
gave him the meaning, not the words of
their replies. He was going away, but
stopped. A minute or two afterwards he
beckoned to Jacques. The old gardener
seems to have thought it undesirable to
throw away even the chance of assistance
from such a man as this, for he went
forwards to speak to him.