ached
the point where the party had separated, a few minutes before the
expiration of the appointed hour.

The two girls ran away to Louise Moulin, and chatted to her gaily,
while Harry walked up and down until, a quarter of an hour later,
the count and Marie made their appearance. The party stood talking
together for a few minutes; then adieus were said with a very pale
face, but with firmness on Marie's part, and then the girls, with
Louise, turned their faces to Paris, while Harry and Victor remained
behind until they had got well on their way.

"It was hard to deceive her," Victor said; "but you were right.
She insisted that I should go. I seemed to resist, and urged that
it was cowardly for me to run away and to leave her here alone,
but she would not listen to it. She said it was a duty I owed to my
father and family to save myself, and that she should be wretched
if she thought I was in Paris in constant danger of arrest. Finally,
I had to give way to her, but it went against the grain, for even
while she was urging me she must have felt in her heart it would be
cowardly of me to go. However, she will know some day that Victor
de Gisons is no coward."

"I am sure it is better so," Harry said. "She will have anxiety
enough to bear as to her father and mother; it is well that her
mind should be at ease concerning you."

"In reality," Victor said, "I shall be safer here than I should be
journeying towards the frontier. The papers this morning say that
in consequence of the escape of suspected persons, and of the
emigration of the nobles to join the enemies of France, orders
have been sent that the strictest scrutiny is to be exercised on
the roads leading to the frontier, over all strangers who may pass
through. All who cannot give a perfectly satisfactory account of
themselves and produce their papers en regle, are to be arrested
and sent to Paris. Therefore, my chance of getting through would be
small indeed, whereas while remaining in Paris there can be little
fear of detection."

"Not much risk, I hope," Harry agreed; "but there is no saying what
stringent steps they may take as time goes on."

Victor had taken a lodging a few houses from that of Harry. Every
day the excitement in Paris increased, every day there were fresh
arrests until all the prisons became crowded to overflowing. It
was late in August; the Prussians were advancing and had laid siege
to Verdun, and terror was added to the emotions