outed with the
remnants of her power:

"People, gather up your forces into one single force!"

A large gendarme caught her collar with his red hand and shook her.

"Keep quiet!"

The nape of her neck struck the wall; her heart was enveloped for a
second in the stifling smoke of terror; but it blazed forth again
clearly, dispelling the smoke.

"Go!" said the gendarme.

"Fear nothing! There are no tortures worse than those which you endure
all your lives!"

"Silence, I say!" The gendarme took her by the arm and pulled her;
another seized her by the other arm, and taking long steps, they led
her away.

"There are no tortures more bitter than those which quietly gnaw at
your heart every day, waste your breast, and drain your power."

The spy came running up, and shaking his fist in her face, shouted:

"Silence, you old hag!"

Her eyes widened, sparkled; her jaws quivered. Planting her feet
firmly on the slippery stones of the floor, she shouted, gathering the
last remnants of her strength:

"The resuscitated soul they will not kill."

"Dog!"

The spy struck her face with a short swing of his hand.

Something black and red blinded her eyes for a second. The salty taste
of blood filled her mouth.

A clear outburst of shouts animated her:

"Don't dare to beat her!"

"Boys!"

"What is it?"

"Oh, you scoundrel!"

"Give it to him!"

"They will not drown reason in blood; they will not extinguish its
truth!"

She was pushed in the neck and the back, beaten about the shoulders, on
the head. Everything began to turn around, grow giddy in a dark
whirlwind of shouts, howls, whistles. Something thick and deafening
crept into her ear, beat in her throat, choked her. The floor under
her feet began to shake, giving way. Her legs bent, her body trembled,
burned with pain, grew heavy, and staggered powerless. But her eyes
were not extinguished, and they saw many other eyes which flashed and
gleamed with the bold sharp fire known to her, with the fire dear to
her heart.

She was pushed somewhere into a door.

She snatched her hand away from the gendarmes and caught hold of the
doorpost.

"You will not drown the truth in seas of blood----"

They struck her hand.

"You heap up only malice on yourself, you unwise ones! It will fall on
you----"

Somebody seized her neck and began to choke her. There was a rattle in
her throat.

"You poor, sorry creatures----"

End of the Pro