hes, because, if not, he had
threatened to part company at once. Instead of being affected by
Aurelia's bitter tears and agonized intreaties, the old woman, breaking
into the most brazen and shameless laughter, talked in the most
depraved manner of a state of matters which would cause Aurelia to bid,
for ever, farewell to every feeling of enjoyment of life in such
unrestrained and detestable depravity, defying and insulting all sense
of ordinary propriety, so that her shame and terror were undescribable
at what she was obliged to hear. In fact she gave herself up for lost,
and her only means of salvation appeared to her to be immediate flight.

She had managed to possess herself of the key of the hall door, had got
together the few little necessaries which she absolutely required, and,
just after midnight, was moving softly through the dimly-lighted front
hall, at a time when she thought her mother was sure to be last asleep.
She was on the point of stepping quietly out into the street, when the
door opened with a clang, and heavy footsteps came noisily up the
steps. The Baroness came staggering and stumbling into the hall, right
up to Aurelia's feet, nothing upon her but a kind of miserable wrapper
all covered with dirt, her breast and her arms naked, her grey hair all
hanging down and dishevelled. And close after her came the stranger,
who seized her by the hair, and dragged her into the middle of the
hall, crying out in a yelling voice--

"Wait, you old devil, you witch of hell! I'll serve you up a wedding
breakfast!" And with a good thick cudgel which he had in his hand he
set to and belaboured and maltreated her in the most shameful manner.
She made a terrible screaming and outcry, whilst Aurelia, scarcely
knowing what she was about, screamed aloud out of the window for help.

It chanced that there was a patrol of armed police just passing. The
men came at once into the house.

"Seize him!" cried the Baroness, writhing in convulsions of rage and
pain. "Seize him--hold him fast! Look at his bare back. He's----"

When the police sergeant heard the Baroness speak the name he shouted
out in the greatest delight--

"Hoho! We've got you at last, Devil Alias, have we?" And in spite of
his violent resistance, they marched him off.

But notwithstanding all this which had been happening, the Baroness had
understood well enough what Aurelia's idea had been. She contented
herself with taking her somewhat roughly by the