et us get
away! Let us get away from this horrible house!" and this he kept
repeating with a shudder as he moved restlessly to and fro.

"With all my heart!" I answered, looking at him with some contempt.
"That is exactly what we are going to do!"

But all the same his words reminded me of something which in the
excitement of the scene I had momentarily forgotten, and that was our
duty. Pavannes must still be saved, though not for Kit; rather to
answer to us for his sins. But he must be saved! And now that the
road was open, every minute lost was reproach to us. "Yes," I added
roughly, my thoughts turned into a more rugged channel, "you are right.
This is no time for nursing. We must be going. Madame de Pavannes," I
went on, addressing myself to her, "you know the way home from here--to
your house!" "Oh, yes," she cried.

"That is well," I answered. "Then we will start. Your sister is
sufficiently recovered now, I think. And we will not risk any further
delay."

I did not tell her of her husband's danger, or that we suspected him of
wronging her, and being in fact the cause of her detention. I wanted
her services as a guide. That was the main point, though I was glad to
be able to put her in a place of safety at the same time that we
fulfilled our own mission.

She rose eagerly. "You are sure that we can get out?" she said.

"Sure," I replied with a brevity worthy of Bezers himself.

And I was right. We trooped down stairs, making as little noise as
possible; with the result that Mirepoix only took the alarm, and came
upon us when we were at the outer door, bungling with the lock. Then I
made short work of him, checking his scared words of remonstrance by
flashing my dagger before his eyes. I induced him in the same
fashion--he was fairly taken by surprise--to undo the fastenings
himself; and so, bidding him follow us at his peril, we slipped out one
by one. We softly closed the door behind us. And lo! we were at last
free--free and in the streets of Paris, with the cool night air fanning
our brows. A church hard by tolled the hour of two; and the strokes
were echoed, before we had gone many steps along the ill-paved way, by
the solemn tones of the bell of Notre Dame.

We were free and in the streets, with a guide who knew the way. If
Bezers had not gone straight from us to his vengeance, we might thwart
him yet. I strode along quickly, Madame d'O by my side the others a
little way in fr