riends, life, honor--I have been forced to
sacrifice all. Perish my daughter's virtue--perish my daughter
herself--what do they matter, if I can but succeed?"

He was terrible in his fanaticism; and in his mad excitement he clinched
his hands as if he were threatening some invisible enemy; his eyes were
wild and bloodshot.

The baron seized him by the coat as if to prevent his escape.

"You admit it, then?" he said. "You wish to revenge yourself on the
Sairmeuse family, and you have made Chanlouineau your accomplice?"

But Lacheneur, with a sudden movement, freed himself.

"I admit nothing," he replied. "And yet I wish to reassure you----"

He raised his hand as if to take an oath, and in a solemn voice, he
said:

"Before God, who hears my words, by all that I hold sacred in this
world, by the memory of my sainted wife who lies beneath the sod, I
swear that I am plotting nothing against the Sairmeuse family; that
I had no thought of touching a hair of their heads. I use them only
because they are absolutely indispensable to me. They will aid me
without injuring themselves."

Lacheneur, this time, spoke the truth. His hearer felt it; still he
pretended to doubt. He thought by retaining his own self-possession,
and exciting the anger of this unfortunate man still more, he might,
perhaps, discover his real intentions. So it was with an air of
suspicion that he said:

"How can one believe this assurance after the avowal you have just
made?"

Lacheneur saw the snare; he regained his self-possession as if by magic.

"So be it, Monsieur, refuse to believe me. But you will wring from me
only one more word on this subject. I have said too much already. I know
that you are guided solely by friendship for me; my gratitude is great,
but I cannot reply to your question. The events of the past few days
have dug a deep abyss between you and me. Do not endeavor to pass it.
Why should we ever meet again? I must say to you, what I said only
yesterday to Abbe Midon. If you are my friend, you will never come here
again--never--by night or by day, or under any pretext whatever. Even if
they tell you that I am dying, do not come. This house is fatal. And if
you meet me, turn away; shun me as you would a pestilence whose touch is
deadly!"

The baron was silent. This was in substance what Marie-Anne had said to
him, only under another form.

"But there is still a wiser course that you might pursue. Everything
here is certain t