had a
theory to prove. He sat with his watch out and a barometer in front of
him, waiting for the squalls and noting their effect upon the human
pulse. 'For the true philosopher,' he remarked delightedly, 'every fact
in nature is a toy.' A letter came to him; but, as its arrival coincided
with the approach of another gust, he merely crammed it into his pocket,
gave the time to Jean-Marie, and the next moment they were both counting
their pulses as if for a wager.

At nightfall the wind rose into a tempest. It besieged the hamlet,
apparently from every side, as if with batteries of cannon; the houses
shook and groaned; live coals were blown upon the floor. The uproar and
terror of the night kept people long awake, sitting with pallid faces
giving ear.

It was twelve before the Desprez family retired. By half-past one, when
the storm was already somewhat past its height, the Doctor was awakened
from a troubled slumber, and sat up. A noise still rang in his ears, but
whether of this world or the world of dreams he was not certain. Another
clap of wind followed. It was accompanied by a sickening movement of the
whole house, and in the subsequent lull Desprez could hear the tiles
pouring like a cataract into the loft above his head. He plucked
Anastasie bodily out of bed.

'Run!' he cried, thrusting some wearing apparel into her hands; 'the
house is falling! To the garden!'

She did not pause to be twice bidden; she was down the stair in an
instant. She had never before suspected herself of such activity. The
Doctor meanwhile, with the speed of a piece of pantomime business, and
undeterred by broken shins, proceeded to rout out Jean-Marie, tore Aline
from her virgin slumbers, seized her by the hand, and tumbled downstairs
and into the garden, with the girl tumbling behind him, still not half
awake.

The fugitives rendezvous'd in the arbour by some common instinct. Then
came a bull's-eye flash of struggling moonshine, which disclosed their
four figures standing huddled from the wind in a raffle of flying
drapery, and not without a considerable need for more. At the
humiliating spectacle Anastasie clutched her nightdress desperately about
her and burst loudly into tears. The Doctor flew to console her; but she
elbowed him away. She suspected everybody of being the general public,
and thought the darkness was alive with eyes.

Another gleam and another violent gust arrived together; the house was
seen t