ed him warmly and
left the room, and so soundly was he in the habit of sleeping that she
did not even think it necessary to turn the key in the door.

Silvine had never known herself to be so calm, so clear and alert of
mind. Her decision was prompt, her movements were light, as if she
had parted company with her material frame and were acting under the
domination of that other self, that inner being which she had never
known till then. She had already let in Sambuc, with Cabasse and Ducat,
enjoining upon them the exercise of the strictest caution, and now she
conducted them to her bedroom and posted them on either side the
window, which she threw open wide, notwithstanding the intense cold. The
darkness was profound; barely a faint glimmer of light penetrated
the room, reflected from the bosom of the snow without. A deathlike
stillness lay on the deserted fields, the minutes lagged interminably.
Then, when at last the deadened sound was heard of footsteps drawing
near, Silvine withdrew and returned to the kitchen, where she seated
herself and waited, motionless as a corpse, her great eyes fixed on the
flickering flame of the solitary candle.

And the suspense was long protracted, Goliah prowling warily about the
house before he would risk entering. He thought he could depend on the
young woman, and had therefore come unarmed save for a single revolver
in his belt, but he was haunted by a dim presentiment of evil; he
pushed open the window to its entire extent and thrust his head into the
apartment, calling below his breath:

"Silvine! Silvine!"

Since he found the window open to him it must be that she had thought
better of the matter and changed her mind. It gave him great pleasure to
have it so, although he would rather she had been there to welcome him
and reassure his fears. Doubtless Father Fouchard had summoned her away;
some odds and ends of work to finish up. He raised his voice a little:

"Silvine! Silvine!"

No answer, not a sound. And he threw his leg over the window-sill and
entered the room, intending to get into bed and snuggle away among the
blankets while waiting, it was so bitter cold.

All at once there was a furious rush, with the noise of trampling,
shuffling feet, and smothered oaths and the sound of labored breathing.
Sambuc and his two companions had thrown themselves on Goliah, and
notwithstanding their superiority in numbers they found it no easy task
to overpower the giant, to whom his