ly dead with cold, he buried himself.

Let us now follow Monsieur Le Prun, whom we left in a high state of
malignant frenzy, approaching the entrance of the desolate building.

"Ha!--Blassemare," he said, with a livid smile, the meaning of which was
obvious, in reply to that gentleman's fearless salutation, "you have
made good speed from the south. How goes all at Lyons? Come, come, the
particulars?"

"I have not been there at all; I altered my plans; not without just
reason. I have removed Madame Le Prun here; the fact is, I had reason to
suspect a design to escape. It was nearly ripe; the _eclat_ of such a
thing would have been scandalous. I disorganized the whole affair, and
have placed her here under your own roof; I had to use stratagem for the
purpose, but I succeeded; she is still safe--the plot has failed."

"More than one plot, perhaps, has failed, sir," said Le Prun, with a
look of lowering scrutiny; "I have exploded one myself. Let me see
Madame Le Prun."

"Do you wish to see her?"

"Certainly--conduct me to her at once."

Blassemare, with a malicious smile and shrug, exclaimed--

"Well, monsieur, you shall be obeyed; let us proceed to Madame Le Prun,
by all means."

He led the way; they ascended a staircase, Le Prun growing gloomier and
gloomier at every step.

Smothering his malicious laughter, Blassemare glided past him, and
opening a door exclaimed--

"Madame, a gentleman desires the honor of an interview; Monsieur Le Prun
attends you."

Le Prun entered; a step was heard in a recess opening from the room, and
a form entered, before which he recoiled as from a malignant spectre.

"Is it _this_ one or the other?" asked Blassemare, with much simplicity.

Le Prun did not hear him; he was astounded and overpowered in the
presence of the phantom-like form that stood in its strange draperies of
flannel at the other end of the chamber, eyeing him askance, with a look
of more than mortal hate.

"It is not fair to disturb such a meeting; the domestic affections, eh?
had best be indulged in private."

So saying, Blassemare abruptly withdrew, and shut the door sharply upon
the pair.

Roused by the sound, Le Prun attempted to follow him, but his agitation
prevented his being able to open the door, and he cursed Blassemare from
the bottom of his soul, in the belief that he had bolted it.

"So, face to face at last," she said; "for years you have escaped me;
for years your agents have persecuted a