et that he ever existed, and marry thee. I wonder
where they meet? It must be somewhere near here, but I cannot find out.
Now that he knows he is unwelcome to me, he comes not in here."

"I will try and find out, Father Pierre, and then we must devise means
for putting him out of the way, as thou seem'st to desire it, and,
mind, my reward is Marguerite, whether she be willing or not."

"Yea, my son, and here is my hand on it."

After shaking hands over this black bargain, Jacques arose and said he
must go, and wishing old Pierre "Good night," he left the mill. Turning
round when he had gone a few steps from the door, he clenched his hand
and said, "Thou tempt'st me to commit murder, but I'll take care that
thou doest the deed thyself; bad as I am I could not take Marguerite's
hand in mine after such a foul deed."

It was now getting rather late, but as Jacques had no business of his
own on hand, but rather wished, like so many others to be about
business that was _not_ his, instead of going home he thought he would
go up the cliffs by a path which swept round the side of the hill till
it came to fields that led to the Jerbourg fortress. On coming to a
corner where the path turned up the hill, he paused to look at the scene
before him, which was a lovely one: the moon was very brilliant, and the
light of it made a broad pathway across the bay--such a pathway as
always makes one wish to walk along in the calm to find a place of rest.

Perhaps the dark rocks which rose with a sort of sullen majesty straight
up from the water side, were more to Jacques' fancy than the moon path
on the water, for he was gazing intently across the hay at them, while
apparently the rest of the beautiful scene was lost on him. So intent
was his gaze at the rocks--on the summit of which was the Jerbourg
fortress--that he did not observe the presence of two persons who were
coming slowly towards him. Evidently they had not remarked him either,
which was not so much to be wondered at as they were no other than
Marguerite and Charlie!

Suddenly Jacques' attention was drawn to them by a merry laugh from
Marguerite. On looking round and seeing who were there he ground his
teeth in jealous rage and muttered to himself. "Ha! now I may discover
something," and going a few steps round the corner, he turned himself
into some bushes that overhung the path and bent down his head, prepared
to listen to the conversation of the pair coming along. Ah! Marg