lies quiet enough now God forgive him his heresy, say I!--kept the door
manfully while the gentleman got on the roof, and ran right down the
street on the tops of the houses, with them firing and hooting at him:
for all the world as if he had been a squirrel and they a pack of boys
with stones!"

"And he escaped?"

"Escaped!" she answered more slowly, shaking her old head in doubt.
"I do not know about that I fear they have got him by now, gentlemen.
I have been shivering and shaking up stairs with my husband--he is in
bed, good man, and the safest place for him--the saints have mercy upon
us! But I heard them go with their shouting and gunpowder right along
to the river, and I doubt they will take him between this and the
CHATELET! I doubt they will."

"How long ago was it, dame?" I cried.

"Oh! may be half an hour. Perhaps you are friends of his?" she added
questioningly.

But I did not stay to answer her. I shook Croisette, who had not heard
a word of this, by the shoulder. "There is a chance that he has
escaped!" I cried in his ear. "Escaped, do you hear?" And I told him
hastily what she had said.

It was fine, indeed, and a sight, to see the blood rush to his cheeks,
and the tears dry in his eyes, and energy and decision spring to life
in every nerve and muscle of his face, "Then there is hope?" he cried,
grasping my arm. "Hope, Anne! Come! Come! Do not let us lose another
instant. If he be alive let us join him!"

The old woman tried to detain us, but in vain. Nay, pitying us, and
fearing, I think, that we were rushing on our deaths, she cast aside
her caution, and called after us aloud. We took no heed, running after
Croisette, who had not waited for our answer, as fast as young limbs
could carry us down the street. The exhaustion we had felt a moment
before when all seemed lost be it remembered that we had not been to
bed or tasted food for many hours--fell from us on the instant, and was
clean gone and forgotten in the joy of this respite. Louis was living
and for the moment had escaped.

Escaped! But for how long? We soon had our answer. The moment we
turned the corner by the river-side, the murmur of a multitude not loud
but continuous, struck our ears, even as the breeze off the water swept
our cheeks. Across the river lay the thousand roofs of the Ile de la
Cite, all sparkling in the sunshine. But we swept to the right,
thinking little of THAT sight, and checked our speed