r, are they not?"

'"Yes, I often come home very late."

'"That's all right. You speak French well. Can you write it?"

'"Yes, sufficiently so for any common purpose."

'"Here, then," said he, opening a large pocket-book, "write an order,
which I'll tell you, to the _concierge_ of the house. Take this pen."

'With a trembling hand I took the pen, and waited for his direction.

'"Is it a woman keeps the door of your hotel?"

'"Yes," said I.

'"Well, then, begin:--"

'"Madame La Concierge, let the bearer of this note have the key of my
apartment----"

'As I followed with my hand the words, I could mark that one of the
party was whispering in the ear of the speaker, and then moved slowly
round to my back.

'"Hush! what's that?" cried the chief speaker. "Be still there!" and as
we listened, the chorus of a number of voices singing in parts was heard
at some little distance off.

'"That infernal nest of fellows must be rooted out of this, one day or
other," said the chief; "and if I end my days on the Place de Greve,
I'll try and do it. Hush there! be still! they're passing on."

'True enough, the sound began to wax fainter, and my heart sank heavily,
as I thought the last hope was leaving me. Suddenly a thought dashed
through my mind--"Death in one shape is as bad as another. I'll do it!"
I stooped down as if to continue my writing, and then collecting my
strength for the effort, and taking a deep breath, I struck the man
in front a blow with all my might that felled him to the ground, and
clearing him with a spring, I bounded down the street. My old Indian
teaching had done me good service here; few white men could have caught
me in an open plain, with space and sight to guide me, and I gained at
every stride. But, alas! I dared not stop to listen whence the sounds
proceeded, and could only dash straight forward, not knowing where it
might lead me. Down a steep, rugged street, that grew narrower as I
went, I plunged, when--horror of horrors!--I heard the Seine plashing at
the end; the rapid current of the river surged against the heavy timbers
that defended the banks, with a sound like a death-wail. A solitary,
trembling light lay afar off in the river from some barge that was at
anchor there; I fixed my eye upon it, and was preparing for a plunge,
when, with a half-suppressed cry, my pursuers sprang up from a low wharf
I had not seen, below the quay, and stood in front of me. In an instant
they were upon m