ot look on me with those dear, scared
eyes of yours. If there is aught that puzzles you in what I said, try
and trust me a while longer. Remember, I must save the Dauphin at all
costs; mine honour is bound with his safety. What happens to me after
that matters but little, yet I wish to live for your dear sake."

He drew a long breath which had naught of weariness in it. The haggard
look had completely vanished from his face, the eyes were lighted
up from within, the very soul of reckless daring and immortal gaiety
illumined his whole personality.

"Do not look so sad, little woman," he said with a strange and sudden
recrudescence of power; "those d--d murderers have not got me yet--even
now."

Then he went down like a log.

The effort had been too prolonged--weakened nature reasserted her rights
and he lost consciousness. Marguerite, helpless and almost distraught
with grief, had yet the strength of mind not to call for assistance.
She pillowed the loved one's head upon her breast, she kissed the dear,
tired eyes, the poor throbbing temples. The unutterable pathos of
seeing this man, who was always the personification of extreme vitality,
energy, and boundless endurance and pluck, lying thus helpless, like a
tired child, in her arms, was perhaps the saddest moment of this day of
sorrow. But in her trust she never wavered for one instant. Much that he
had said had puzzled her; but the word "shame" coming from his own lips
as a comment on himself never caused her the slightest pang of fear. She
had quickly hidden the tiny packet in her kerchief. She would act point
by point exactly as he had ordered her to do, and she knew that Ffoulkes
would never waver either.

Her heart ached well-nigh to breaking point. That which she could not
understand had increased her anguish tenfold. If she could only have
given way to tears she could have borne this final agony more easily.
But the solace of tears was not for her; when those loved eyes once more
opened to consciousness they should see hers glowing with courage and
determination.

There had been silence for a few minutes in the little cell. The
soldiery outside, inured to their hideous duty, thought no doubt that
the time had come for them to interfere. The iron bar was raised and
thrown back with a loud crash, the butt-ends of muskets were grounded
against the floor, and two soldiers made noisy irruption into the cell.

"Hola, citizen! Wake up," shouted one of the men;