g each other to be brave by signs and glances.

The officer with the death-roll read Dolores' name. Coursegol bowed his
head, trembling in every limb. The supreme moment had come. The fainting
girl was dragged forward. Her foot was already on the first step of the
guillotine platform, when suddenly there was a great commotion in the
crowd and a stentorian voice cried out:

"In the name of the Republic, hold!"

At the same instant the throng parted like a wave of the ocean and three
men appeared at the foot of the guillotine. Two of them were clerks from
Robespierre's bureau, clad in the well-known uniform and wearing the
revolutionary cockade. The third was Bridoul. He wore the dress of the
terrible Committee of Public Safety. It was he who had uttered the
stentorian cry:

"In the name of the Republic, hold!"

The assistant who was dragging Dolores forward paused, astounded. The
executioner dropped his arms to his sides and glanced at the three men
in speechless amazement. An interruption of the guillotine's deadly work
was something that had never yet come his knowledge or experience in the
bloody days of the Reign of Terror. He could not comprehend it. The
suddenly silenced mob was equally unable to grasp the situation. What
could be the matter? Had the flinty and inexorable Robespierre turned
fainthearted at last? No! That was impossible! The patriots waited with
open mouths for an explanation of this bewildering phenomenon.

As for Dolores, she saw nothing, heard nothing. At the foot of the
guillotine steps she had fainted dead away in the assistant's arms.

Coursegol had seen Bridoul and heard his words, but they were as much of
an enigma to him as to the rest. How was it that Bridoul was with
Robespierre's clerks, and how was it that he wore the dress of the
Committee of Public Safety? Coursegol, however, realized one thing--that
Bridoul had in some inexplicable way acquired power and had come at the
last moment to save Dolores and himself!

Meanwhile Bridoul and the clerks had mounted the guillotine steps and
were standing on the platform of death, facing the awed and amazed mob.
Bridoul produced a huge document and held it up to the people. On it was
seen the great red seal of the Republic. At the bottom, those nearest
could make out the well-known signature of Robespierre!

Bridoul proceeded to read the document. It declared that a mistake had
been made in the condemnation of Citoyenne Antoinette de Mi