ed."

"No, indeed," the old woman said. "They might have cut me in pieces
without getting a single word from me as to where I lived. Still
they might have found out somehow, for they would have been sure to
have published the fact that I had been taken, with a description
of me. Then the neighbours would have said, 'This description is
like Louise Moulin, and she is missing;' and then they would have
talked, and the end of it would have been you would have been
discovered. Will you come home with us, Monsieur Sandwith?"

"I will come after it's dark, Louise. The less my visits are noticed
the better."

"This is awful!" Harry said to himself as he turned away. "The
marquis and his wife massacred, Ernest and Jules murdered, Marie
in prison, Victor mad with fever, Jeanne and Virginie with no one
to trust to but me, my people at home in a frightful state of mind
about me. It is awful to think of. It's enough to drive a fellow
out of his senses. Well, I will go and see how Victor is going on.
The doctor thought there was a change yesterday. Poor fellow! If
he comes to his senses I shall have hard work to keep the truth
about Marie from him. It would send him off again worse than ever
if he had an idea of it."

"And how is your patient to-day, madame?" he asked, as Victor's
nurse opened the door to him.

"He is quieter, much quieter," she replied. "I think he is too weak
to rave any longer; but otherwise he's just the same. He lies with
his eyes open, talking sometimes to himself, but I cannot make out
any sense in what he says. The doctor has been here this morning,
and he says that he thinks another two days will decide. If he does
not take a turn then he will die. If he does, he may live, but even
then he may not get his reason again. Poor young fellow! I feel
for him almost as if he were my son, and so does Jacques."

"You are both very good, madame," Harry said, "and my friend is
fortunate indeed to have fallen into such good hands. I will sit
with him for three or four hours now, and you had better go and
get a little fresh air."

"That I will, monsieur. Jacques is asleep. He was up with him all
last night, and I had a good night. He would have it so."

"Quite right!" Harry said. "You must not knock yourself up, madame.
You are too useful to others for us to let you do that. Tomorrow
night I will take my turn."

CHAPTER IX

Robespierre

After dark Harry presented himself at Louise Moulin's.