nding next to him, said, and, lifting Victor's body
on to his shoulder, made his way to the top of the stairs, Harry
preceding him and opening a way through the crowd. In another minute
they were in the open air.

"Thank you greatly," Harry said. "I do not know how I should have
managed without your aid. If you put him down here I will try and
bring him round."

"I live not far from here," the man said. "I will take him to my
room. You need not be afraid," he added as Harry hesitated, "I have
got my eyes open, you can trust me."

So saying he made his way through the crowd gathered outside. He
was frequently asked who he was carrying, for the crowd feared lest
any of their prey should escape; but the man's reply, given with
a rough laugh--"It is a lad whose stomach is not strong enough to
bear the sight of blood, and I tell you it is pretty hot in
there,"--satisfied them.

Passing through several streets the man entered a small house and
carried Victor to the attic and laid him on a bed, then he carefully
closed the door and struck a light.

"You struck hard, my friend," he said as he examined Victor's head.
"Ma foi, I should not have liked such a blow myself, but I don't
blame you. You were but just in time to prevent his betraying
himself, and better a hundred times a knock on the head than those
pikes outside the door. I had my eye on him, and felt sure he would
do something rash, and I had intended to choke him, but he was too
quick for me. How came you to be so foolish as to be there?"

"We had friends in the prison, and we thought we might do something
to save them," Harry answered, for he saw that it would be his best
policy to be frank. "It was his father whom they brought out."

"It was rash of you, young sir. A kid might as well try to save his
mother from the tiger who has laid its paw upon her as for you to
try to rescue any one from the clutches of the mob. Mon Dieu! To
think that in the early days I was fool enough to go down to the
Assembly and cheer the deputies; but I have seen my mistake. What
has it brought us? A ruined trade, an empty cupboard, and to be
ruled by the ruffians of the slums instead of the king, the clergy,
and the upper classes. I was a brass-worker, and a good one, though
I say it myself, and earned good wages. Now for the last month
I haven't done a stroke of work. Who wants to buy brass-work when
there are mansions and shops to pillage? And now, what are you
going to do?