egan to experience a degree of
tranquillity to which he had long been a stranger; when, at a period in
which the town-prison was untenanted, the long-dreaded calamity burst
upon his devoted head like a bolt of lightning from a cloudless sky.

His father-in-law received one morning at breakfast an order from the
town authorities to repair early on the following day to a city at ten
leagues distance, and there to behead a criminal whose execution had
been delayed by the illness and death of the resident headsman. At this
unexpected intelligence, the features of Florian were blanched with
horror, but the iron visage of the old executioner betrayed not the
slightest emotion. Regardless of his son-in-law's terrors, he viewed
this unexpected summons as a fortunate incident, and maintained that any
unskilfulness in decapitation would be of less importance at a distance
than in his native town. He regarded also this brief summons as much
more favourable to Florian's success than a longer foreknowledge, and
urged in strong and decisive terms the necessity of submission to
the call of duty. The blood of Florian froze as he listened, but he
acquiesced, as usual, in timid silence. In the afternoon he yielded to
the old man's wish, that he should give what the headsman termed a
master-proof of his skill in the science of decapitation, and with cold
sweat on his brow severed a number of cabbage-heads to the satisfaction
of his teacher. Meanwhile the sympathising but energetic Madelon
prepared a palatable meal, and endeavoured, more successfully than her
uncompromising parent, to sustain and cheer the drooping spirits of the
husband she so entirely loved. She could not, however, always suppress
her starting tears; and as the night approached, even the firm nature of
the old headsman betrayed symptoms of growing anxiety, notwithstanding
his endeavours to exhilarate himself by deep potations of his favourite
wine.

After a night of wearying vigilance and internal conflict, the miserable
Florian entered at daybreak the vehicle which awaited him and his
father-in-law under the arched gateway. With a view to prevent his
trembling substitute from witnessing all the preparations for the
approaching catastrophe, the old man so measured his progress as to
enter the city a few minutes before the appointed hour, and drove
immediately to the scene of action, without pausing at the church,
to attend, as customary, the mass then performing in pres