be burned out. During the day, some faint sounds reached him
from the valley--some tokens of the existence of men. During the two
last nights of his life, his ear was kept awake only by the dropping of
water--the old familiar sound--and the occasional stir of the brands
upon the hearth. About midnight of the second night, he found he could
sit up no longer. With trembling hands he laid on such pieces of wood
as he could lift, lighted another flambeau, and lay down on his straw.
He raised himself but once, hastily and dizzily in the dawn (dawn to
him, but sunrise abroad). His ear had been reached by the song of the
young goatherds, as they led their flock abroad into another valley.
The prisoner had dreamed that it was his boy Denis, singing in the
piazza at Pongaudin. As his dim eye recognised the place, by the
flicker of the expiring flambeau, he smiled at his delusion, and sank
back to sleep again.

The Commandant was absent three days. On his return, he summoned
Bellines, and said, in the presence of several soldiers--

"How is the prisoner there?" pointing in the direction of Toussaint's
cell.

"He has been very quiet this morning, sir."

"Very quiet? Do you suppose he is ill?"

"He was as well as usual the last time I went to him."

"He has had plenty of everything, I suppose?"

"Oh, yes, sir. Wood, candle, food, water--everything."

"Very well. Get lights, and I will visit him."

Lights were brought. A boy, who carried a lantern, shivered as he saw
how ghastly Bellines' face looked in the yellow gleam, in the dark vault
on the way to the cell, and was not sorry to be told to stay behind,
till called to light the Commandant back again.

"Have you heard anything?" asked Rubaut of the soldier, in a low voice.

"Not for many hours. There was a call or two, and some singing, just
after you went; but nothing since."

"Hush! Listen!"

They listened motionless for some time; but nothing was heard but the
everlasting plash, which went on all around them.

"Unbar the door, Bellines."

He did so, and held the door wide for the Commandant to enter. Rubaut
stalked in, and straight up to the straw bed. He called the prisoner in
a somewhat agitated voice, felt the hand, raised the head, and declared
that he was gone. The candle was burned completely out. Rubaut turned
to the hearth, carefully stirred the ashes, blew among them, and raised
a spark.

"You observe," he said to Bellines; "his fir