hed out on a cloak beside the well.

Around the body troops gesticulated, uttering cries of fury. Many
of them shook their fists at the village. Meanwhile the officer had
summoned Pere Merlier as the mayor of the commune.

"Look!" he said to him in a voice almost choking with anger. "There lies
one of our men who was found assassinated upon the bank of the river.
We must make a terrible example, and I count on you to aid us in
discovering the murderer."

"As you choose," answered the miller with his usual stoicism, "but you
will find it no easy task."

The officer stooped and drew aside a part of the cloak which hid the
face of the dead man. Then appeared a horrible wound. The sentinel had
been struck in the throat, and the weapon had remained in the cut. It
was a kitchen knife with a black handle.

"Examine that knife," said the officer to Pere Merlier; "perhaps it will
help us in our search."

The old man gave a start but recovered control of himself immediately.
He replied without moving a muscle of his face:

"Everybody in the district has similar knives. Doubtless your man was
weary of fighting and put an end to his own life. It looks like it!"

"Mind what you say!" cried the officer furiously. "I do not know what
prevents me from setting fire to the four corners of the village!"

Happily in his rage he did not notice the deep trouble pictured on
Francoise's countenance. She had been forced to sit down on a stone
bench near the well. Despite herself her eyes were fixed upon the corpse
stretched our on the ground almost at her feet. It was that of a tall
and handsome man who resembled Dominique, with flaxen hair and blue
eyes. This resemblance made her heart ache. She thought that perhaps the
dead soldier had left behind him in Germany a sweetheart who would weep
her eyes out for him. She recognized her knife in the throat of the
murdered man. She had killed him.

The officer was talking of striking Rocreuse with terrible measures,
when soldiers came running to him. Dominique's escape had just been
discovered. It caused an extreme agitation. The officer went to the
apartment in which the prisoner had been confined, looked out of the
window which had remained open, understood everything and returned,
exasperated.

Pere Merlier seemed greatly vexed by Dominique's flight.

"The imbecile!" he muttered. "He has ruined all!"

Francoise heard him and was overcome with anguish. But the miller did
not suspect