ere was a gap that not even French buoyancy
could fill. On the morning of the twenty-fifth they neared Noumea.
Shorland thought of all that day meant to Luke and Clare. He was
helpless to alter the course of events, to stay a terrible possibility.

"You can never trust a woman of Gabrielle's stamp," he said to himself,
as they rode along through valleys of ferns, grenadillas, and limes.
"They have no baseline of duty; they either rend themselves or rend
others, but rend they must, hearts and not garments. Henri Durien knows,
and she knows, and Alencon Barre knew, poor boy! But what Barre knew
is buried with him back there under the palms. Luke and Clare are to be
married to-morrow-God help them! And I can see them in their home, he
standing by the fireplace in his old way--it's winter there--and looking
down at Clare; and on the other side of the fireplace sits the sister of
the Woman in the Morgue, waiting for the happiest moment in the lives of
these two before her. And when it comes, as she did with the portrait,
as she did with him before, she will set her foot upon his face and
then on Clare's; only neither Luke nor Clare will live again after that
crucifixion." Then aloud: "Hello! what's that?--a messenger riding hard
to meet us! Smoke in the direction of Noumea and sound of firing! What's
that, doctor? Convicts revolted, made a break at the prison and on the
way to the quarries at the same moment! Of course--seized the time when
the post was weakest, helped by ticket-of-leave-men and led by Henri
Durien, Gaspard, and Gabrielle Rouget. Gabrielle Rouget, eh! And this is
the twenty-fifth! Yes, I will take Barre's horse, captain, thank you; it
is fresher than mine. Away we go! Egad, they're at it, doctor! Hear
the rifles!" Answering to the leader's cry of "Forward, forward!" the
detachment dashed into the streets of this little Paris, which, after
the fashion of its far-away mother, was dipping its hands in Revolution.
Outcast and criminal France were arrayed against military France once
more. A handful of guards in the prison at Ile Nou were bravely holding
in check a ruthless mob of convicts; and a crowd of convicts in
the street keeping back a determined military force. Part of the
newly-arrived reinforcements proceeded to Ile Nou, part moved towards
the barricade. Shorland went to the barricade.

The convicts had the Cafe Voisin in their rear. As the reinforcements
joined the besieging party a cheer arose, and a