ed about
my dress"--for Marie had already put on the simple attire which
had been prepared for her--"but I told him that it was fit for a
sick-room, and he seemed satisfied. He has just dozed off to sleep,
and I will go in and sit with him now till he wakes."

"When he does, mademoiselle, I will have some broth and a glass of
good burgundy ready for him," Elise said.

"Thank you; but please call me Marie in future. There are no
mesdemoiselles in France now, and I shall call you Elise instead
of Madame. And Harry, would you mind telling the girls that I will
meet them to-morrow instead of this evening. I long to see them, oh
so, so much; but I should not like to leave him for a moment now.
I fear so that his memory might go again if he were to wake and
miss me."

"I was going to propose it myself, Marie," Harry said. "It is
all-important to avoid any agitation now. To-morrow, I hope, it
will be safer, and the doctor will give him a sleeping-draught, so
that he shall not wake while you are away. But, Marie, remember it
will be a farewell visit, for I dare not let them stay more than
another day. They may be denounced again at any hour, for the man
who wrote to Robespierre, if he finds that nothing comes of it,
may go to the local committee, and they will not lose an hour, you
may be sure."

"I must see them this evening, then," Marie said hurriedly. "The doctor
will be here, you say, soon. Victor must have his sleeping-draught
this afternoon instead of to-morrow. They must go at once. I
should never forgive myself if, by putting off our parting for
twenty-four hours, I caused them to fall into the hands of these
wretches; so please hurry on all the arrangements so that they may
leave the first thing to-morrow morning."

"It will be best," Harry said, "if you will do it, Marie. I own
that I am in a fever of apprehension. I will go there at once to
tell them that all must be in readiness by to-night. They will be
glad indeed to hear that your presence has done such wonders for
Victor. They will be able to leave you with a better heart if
they feel that your stay here is likely to bring health to him and
happiness to both of you."

"A week since," Marie said, "it did not seem to me that I could
ever be happy again; but though everything is still very dark, the
clouds seem lifting."

The girls were greatly rejoiced when they heard the good news that
Victor had recognized Marie, and that Harry had now hopes tha