ed him
to detain me he threatened force. Then I succumbed. I have been here
since, suspecting I know not what, but fearing everything."

"That is ended, madame," I answered, my hand on my breast, my soul in
arms for her. Here, unless I was mistaken, was one more unhappy and
more deeply wronged even than Kit; one too who owed her misery to the
same villain. "Were there nine glovers on the stairs," I declared
roundly, "we would take you out and take you home! Where are your
husband's apartments?"

"In the Rue de Saint Merri, close to the church. We have a house
there."

"M. de Pavannes," I suggested cunningly, "is doubtless distracted by
your disappearance."

"Oh, surely," she answered with earnest simplicity, while the tears
sprang to her eyes. Her innocence--she had not the germ of a
suspicion--made me grind my teeth with wrath. Oh, the base wretch!
The miserable rascal! What did the women see, I wondered--what had we
all seen in this man, this Pavannes, that won for him our hearts, when
he had only a stone to give in return?

I drew Croisette and Marie aside, apparently to consider how we might
force the door. "What is the meaning of this?" I said softly,
glancing at the unfortunate lady. "What do you think, Croisette?"

I knew well what the answer would be.

"Think!" he cried with fiery impatience. "What can any one think
except that that villain Pavannes has himself planned his wife's
abduction? Of course it is so! His wife out of the way he is free to
follow up his intrigues at Caylus. He may then marry Kit or--Curse
him!"

"No," I said sternly, "cursing is no good. We must do something more.
And yet--we have promised Kit, you see, that we would save him--we must
keep our word. We must save him from Bezers at least."

Marie groaned.

But Croisette took up the thought with ardour. "From Bezers?" he
cried, his face aglow. "Ay, true! So we must! But then we will draw
lots, who shall fight him and kill him."

I extinguished him by a look. "We shall fight him in turn," I said,
"until one of us kill him. There you are right. But your turn comes
last. Lots indeed! We have no need of lots to learn which is the
eldest."

I was turning from him--having very properly crushed him--to look for
something which we could use to force the door, when he held up his
hand to arrest my attention. We listened, looking at one another.
Through the window came unmistakeable sounds of voices. "Th