subsided, or at least only betrayed itself by a succession of
unseemly epithets. They became silent, and, strange to say, it
seemed as if their excitement diminished as they ascended higher
above the town. A sort of lull took place in their minds. Their
brains became cooler, and simmered down like a coffee-pot when
taken away from the fire. Why?

We cannot answer this "why;" but the truth is that, having
reached a certain landing-stage, two hundred and sixty-six feet
above ground, the two adversaries sat down and, really more calm,
looked at each other without any anger in their faces.

"How high it is!" said the burgomaster, passing his handkerchief
over his rubicund face.

"Very high!" returned the counsellor. "Do you know that we have
gone fourteen feet higher than the Church of Saint Michael at
Hamburg?"

"I know it," replied the burgomaster, in a tone of vanity very
pardonable in the chief magistrate of Quiquendone.

The two notabilities soon resumed their ascent, casting curious
glances through the loopholes pierced in the tower walls. The
burgomaster had taken the head of the procession, without any
remark on the part of the counsellor. It even happened that at
about the three hundred and fourth step, Van Tricasse being
completely tired out, Niklausse kindly pushed him from behind.
The burgomaster offered no resistance to this, and, when he
reached the platform of the tower, said graciously,--

"Thanks, Niklausse; I will do the same for you one day."

A little while before it had been two wild beasts, ready to tear
each other to pieces, who had presented themselves at the foot of
the tower; it was now two friends who reached its summit.

The weather was superb. It was the month of May. The sun had
absorbed all the vapours. What a pure and limpid atmosphere! The
most minute objects over a broad space might be discerned. The
walls of Virgamen, glistening in their whiteness,--its red,
pointed roofs, its belfries shining in the sunlight--appeared a
few miles off. And this was the town that was foredoomed to all
the horrors of fire and pillage!

The burgomaster and the counsellor sat down beside each other on
a small stone bench, like two worthy people whose souls were in
close sympathy. As they recovered breath, they looked around;
then, after a brief silence,--

"How fine this is!" cried the burgomaster.

"Yes, it is admirable!" replied the counsellor. "Does it not
seem to you, my good Van Tricasse