him in the execution of his nefarious designs. Those who sickened were
immediately and quietly withdrawn, the cord and a midnight-grave disposed
of them for ever; while some plausible excuse was given for their absence.
At last a female, whose maternal vigilance subdued even the effects of the
narcotics administered to her, became a witness of their murderous designs
on her only child. Mad with horror, she would have burst among her deluded
fellow-victims, and, wildly shrieking, have awaked the dull ear of night
with the history of the fiend-like crime; when the Impostor, in his last
act of rage and desperation, plunged a poignard in her bosom. Thus wounded
to death, her garments dripping with her own life-blood, bearing her
strangled infant in her arms, beautiful and young as she was, Juliet, (for
it was she) denounced to the host of deceived believers, the wickedness of
their leader. He saw the aghast looks of her auditors, changing from horror
to fury--the names of those already sacrificed were echoed by their
relatives, now assured of their loss. The wretch with that energy of
purpose, which had borne him thus far in his guilty career, saw his danger,
and resolved to evade the worst forms of it--he rushed on one of the
foremost, seized a pistol from his girdle, and his loud laugh of derision
mingled with the report of the weapon with which he destroyed himself.

They left his miserable remains even where they lay; they placed the corpse
of poor Juliet and her babe upon a bier, and all, with hearts subdued to
saddest regret, in long procession walked towards Versailles. They met
troops of those who had quitted the kindly protection of Adrian, and were
journeying to join the fanatics. The tale of horror was recounted--all
turned back; and thus at last, accompanied by the undiminished numbers of
surviving humanity, and preceded by the mournful emblem of their recovered
reason, they appeared before Adrian, and again and for ever vowed obedience
to his commands, and fidelity to his cause.

[1] Shakespeare--Julius Caesar.
[2] Elton's Translation of Hesiod's "Shield of Hercules."

CHAPTER VII.

THESE events occupied so much time, that June had numbered more than half
its days, before we again commenced our long-protracted journey. The day
after my return to Versailles, six men, from among those I had left at
Villeneuve-la-Guiard, arrived, with intelligence, that the rest of the
troop had already proceeded towar