o be clement. It is probably
a foolishness. But you have surprised me into it. I give you three
minutes, monsieur, in which to leave this house, and to take your own
measures for your safety. What afterwards happens to you shall be no
concern of mine."

"Ah, no, Andre! Listen..." Madame began in anguish.

"Pardon, madame. It is the utmost that I will do, and already I am
violating what I conceive to be my duty. If M. de La Tour d'Azyr remains
he not only ruins himself, but he imperils you. For unless he departs
at once, he goes with me to the headquarters of the section, and the
section will have his head on a pike inside the hour. He is a notorious
counter-revolutionary, a knight of the dagger, one of those whom an
exasperated populace is determined to exterminate. Now, monsieur, you
know what awaits you. Resolve yourself and at once, for these ladies'
sake."

"But you don't know, Andre-Louis!" Mme. de Plougastel's condition was
one of anguish indescribable. She came to him and clutched his arm. "For
the love of Heaven, Andre-Louis, be merciful with him! You must!"

"But that is what I am being, madame--merciful; more merciful than he
deserves. And he knows it. Fate has meddled most oddly in our concerns
to bring us together to-night. Almost it is as if Fate were forcing
retribution at last upon him. Yet, for your sakes, I take no advantage
of it, provided that he does at once as I have desired him."

And now from beyond the table the Marquis spoke icily, and as he spoke
his right hand stirred under the ample folds of his greatcoat.

"I am glad, M. Moreau, that you take that tone with me. You relieve me
of the last scruple. You spoke of Fate just now, and I must agree with
you that Fate has meddled oddly, though perhaps not to the end that you
discern. For years now you have chosen to stand in my path and thwart me
at every turn, holding over me a perpetual menace. Persistently you have
sought my life in various ways, first indirectly and at last directly.
Your intervention in my affairs has ruined my highest hopes--more
effectively, perhaps, than you suppose. Throughout you have been my evil
genius. And you are even one of the agents of this climax of despair
that has been reached by me to-night."

"Wait! Listen!" Madame was panting. She flung away from Andre-Louis,
as if moved by some premonition of what was coming. "Gervais! This is
horrible!"

"Horrible, perhaps, but inevitable. Himself he has invited it.