, and I forbid you to follow her."

Saying these words, she seized the hem of Rosalie's dress with her sharp
little teeth and tried to draw her away. Rosalie uttered a piercing cry
and clung convulsively to her father but an irresistible force bore her
off. The unfortunate genius seized a stick and raised it to strike the
mouse but before he had time to inflict the blow the mouse placed one of
her little paws on the genius's foot and he remained as immovable as a
statue. Rosalie embraced her father's knees and implored the mouse to
take pity upon her but the little wretch gave one of her sharp,
diabolical laughs and said:--

"Come, come, my pretty! Pity it is not here that you will find the
temptations to yield twice to your irresistible fault! We will travel
all over the world together and I will show you many countries in
fifteen days."

The mouse pulled Rosalie without ceasing. Her arms were still clasped
around her father, striving to resist the overpowering force of her
enemy. The mouse uttered a discordant little cry and suddenly the house
was in flames. Rosalie had sufficient presence of mind to reflect that
if she allowed herself to be burned there would be no means left of
saving her father, who must then remain eternally under the power of
Detestable. Whereas, if she preserved her own life there remained always
some chance of rescuing him.

"Adieu, adieu, dear father!" she cried; "we will meet again in fifteen
days. After having given you over to your enemy, your Rosalie will yet
save you."

She then tore herself away, in order not to be devoured by the flames.
She ran on rapidly for some time without knowing where she was going.
She walked several hours but at last, exhausted with fatigue and half
dead with hunger, she resolved to approach a kind-looking woman who was
seated at her door.

"Madam," said she, "will you give me a place to sleep? I am dying with
hunger and fatigue. Will you not be so kind as to allow me to enter and
pass the night with you?"

"How is it that so beautiful a girl as yourself is found upon the
highways and what ugly animal is that with the expression of a demon
which accompanies you."

Rosalie turned round and saw the little gray mouse smiling upon her
mockingly. She tried to chase it away but the mouse obstinately refused
to move. The good woman, seeing this contest, shook her head and said:--

"Go on your ways, my pretty one. The Evil One and his followers cannot
lodge