iful in its expression of tranquil courage. Laurent, who stood
beside him, had thrust his hands deep down into his pockets. The cold
cruelty of the proceeding disgusted him; it seemed to him that they
could not be far removed from savagery who could thus slaughter men
before the eyes of their wives. He drew himself up, looked them square
in the face, and in a tone of deepest contempt expectorated:

"Dirty pigs!"

The officer raised his sword; the signal was succeeded by a crashing
volley, and the two men sank to the ground, an inert mass, the
gardener's lad upon his face, the other, the accountant, upon his side,
lengthwise of the wall. The frame of the latter, before he expired,
contracted in a supreme convulsion, the eyelids quivered, the mouth
opened as if he was about to speak. The officer came up and stirred him
with his foot, to make sure that he was really dead.

Henriette had seen the whole: the fading eyes that sought her in death,
the last struggle of the strong man in agony, the brutal boot spurning
the corpse. And while the Bavarian still held her in his arms, conveying
her further and further from the object of her love, she uttered no cry;
she set her teeth, in silent fury, into what was nearest: a human hand,
it chanced to be. The soldier gave vent to a howl of anguish and dashed
her to the ground; raising his uninjured fist above her head he was on
the point of braining her. And for a moment their faces were in contact;
she experienced a feeling of intensest loathing for the monster, and
that blood-stained hair and beard, those blue eyes, dilated and brimming
with hate and rage, were destined to remain forever indelibly imprinted
on her memory.

In after days Henriette could never account distinctly to herself for
the time immediately succeeding these events. She had but one desire: to
return to the spot where her loved one had died, take possession of
his remains, and watch and weep over them; but, as in an evil dream,
obstacles of every sort arose before her and barred the way. First a
heavy infantry fire broke out afresh, and there was great activity among
the German troops who were holding Bazeilles; it was due to the arrival
of the infanterie de marine and other regiments that had been despatched
from Balan to regain possession of the village, and the battle commenced
to rage again with the utmost fury. The young woman, in company with
a band of terrified citizens, was swept away to the left into