y pressed together, listening to the beautiful chants; their
hearts melted with love and touched the summits of the purest joy. And
both of them desired--they prayed--never to descend to earth again.

At that moment Luce, who had just kissed her dear little comrade with a
passionate glance--(his eyes half closed and his lips parted, he
appeared lost in an ecstasy of happiness and raised his head in a rush
of thankful joy toward that supreme Power which we look for
instinctively on high)--Luce saw with terror, in the red and gilded
window of the chapel, the face of the reddish-haired child of the
_parvis_ who was smiling at her. And as she sat mute, frozen with
astonishment, she saw once more on that strange visage the same
expression of fright and of pity.

And at the same instant the great pier against which they leaned their
backs moved, and down to its very base the entire church trembled. And
Luce, whose heart beats deadened in her the crash of the explosion and
the shrieks of the crowd, threw herself without having time to fear or
to suffer upon Pierre, in order to cover him with her body like a hen
with her brood--upon Pierre, who with closed eyes was smiling with
happiness. With a maternal movement she clasped the dear head against
her bosom and that with all her power; and, coiled upon him, her mouth
on his neck, they shrank together to their utmost.

And the massive pier crumbled down upon them with one crash.

THE END

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