rejoin his father.
Hardly had Agricola passed the fence, to direct his steps towards the
chapel, obscured in shadow, than Mdlle. de Cardoville thought she
perceived a human form issue from one of the clumps of trees in the
convent-garden, cross the path hastily, and disappear behind a high hedge
of box. Alarmed at the sight, Adrienne in vain called to Agricola in a
low voice, to bid him beware. He could not hear her; he had already
rejoined his father, who, devoured by impatience, went from window to
window with ever-increasing anguish.

"We are saved," whispered Agricola. "Those are the windows of the poor
children--one on the ground floor, the other on the first story."

"At last!" said Dagobert, with a burst of joy impossible to describe. He
ran to examine the windows. "They are not grated!" he exclaimed.

"Let us make sure, that one of them is there," said Agricola; "then, by
placing this pole against the wall, I will climb up to the first story,
which is not so very high."

"Right, my boy!--once there, tap at the window, and call Rose or Blanche.
When she answers, come down. We will rest the pole against the window,
and the poor child will slide along it. They are bold and active. Quick,
quick! to work!"

"And then we will deliver Mdlle. de Cardoville."

Whilst Agricola placed his pole against the wall, and prepares to mount,
Dagobert tapped at the panes of the last window on the ground floor, and
said aloud: "It is I--Dagobert."

Rose Simon indeed occupied the chamber. The unhappy child, in despair at
being separated from her sister, was a prey to a burning fever, and,
unable to sleep, watered her pillow with her tears. At the sound of the
tapping on the glass, she started up affrighted, then, hearing the voice
of the soldier--that voice so familiar and so dear--she sat up in bed,
pressed her hands across her forehead, to assure herself that she was not
the plaything of a dream, and, wrapped in her long night-dress, ran to
the window with a cry of joy. But suddenly--and before she could open the
casement--two reports of fire-arms were heard, accompanied by loud cries
of "Help! thieves!"

The orphan stood petrified with terror, her eyes mechanically fixed upon
the window, through which she saw confusedly, by the light of the moon,
several men engaged in a mortal struggle, whilst the furious barking of
Spoil-sport was heard above all the incessant cries of "Help! Help!
Thieves! Murder!"

End of