, hour by
hour, you shall guide me as you will. You--"

"Monsieur, monsieur! what are you saying? How can I answer such
madness?"

"By coming with me, gift for gift, love for love. Somewhere I will so
labor that my wife shall know the depth of my reverence, the greatness
of my love."

"I have no answer, monsieur, for such folly."

"Not yet, but you will have. A man does not play for such stakes as I
have played for, win them, and then throw them away."

"If I understand your folly rightly, you have not won. I could
pity--were there not a tone of threatening in your voice. To love you
is, and always will be, impossible."

"Has mademoiselle considered all that such a decision means?"

"I know nothing worse that you can do than denounce me to the
Convention," said Jeanne, standing up, and looking straight into his
eyes. "I expect nothing less and have no fear. You will have the
satisfaction of knowing that you have sent another innocent person to
the guillotine."

"There is another mademoiselle might wish to save. I have said Monsieur
Barrington is in my hands."

"I have never seen fear in Richard Barrington. I do not think he would
be afraid of the guillotine."

"You love him," said Latour, sharply.

"Yes;" and then she went on passionately, "Have you revolutionaries not
yet learned that death is but a passing evil, and that there are men and
women who do not fear death? I love Richard Barrington; his death or
mine cannot alter that, and do you suppose I would purchase life by a
promise to you or any other man in the world?"

"Yet he shall plead my cause for me. For himself he may not be a coward,
but for the woman he loves he will be. He would rather see you in my
arms than send you to the guillotine."

"Monsieur, the decision rests wholly with me. Richard Barrington has
already risked his life for me; if necessary, he will give it for me,
and he would rather see me dead than give any promise to a man I
despise. You cannot understand such men."

"Mademoiselle, I too, risked my life in bringing out of the Abbaye
prison the woman I believed was you."

"For that I thank you," she said quickly. "It is strange to me that the
same man can stoop to threaten me now."

"You will understand if you think of all I have told you," said Latour,
moving to the door. "You are safe for a little while. Your lover shall
plead for me. He is a man, and will know what a man's love is."

Jeanne turned to the window. There