or that you suffer him," Claude exclaimed, his voice trembling.
"You suffer him to work his will? You suffer him----"

"I must follow the law," Blondel answered, shaking his head. He looked
warily round; the dark ramparts were quiet. "I act but as a magistrate.
Were I a mere man and knew him, as I know him now, for what he is--a
foul magician weaving his spells about the young, ensnaring, with his
sorceries, the souls of innocent women, corrupting--but what is it,
young man?"

"He is within?"

"No; he left the house a minute or so before you arrived. But what is
it?" Seizing the young man's arm he restrained him. "Where are you
going?"

"To his room!" Claude answered between his set teeth. "Be he man or
devil--to his room!"

"You dare?"

"I dare and I will!" Resisting the Syndic's feigned efforts to hold him
back, he strode towards the door. "That spell shall not be his another
hour."

But Blondel terrified by his sudden success, and loth, now the time was
come, to put all on a cast, kept his hand on him. "Stay! Stay!" he
babbled, dragging him back. "Do not be rash!"

"Stay, and leave him to ruin her!"

"Still, listen! Whatever you do, listen!" the Syndic answered; and
insisted, clinging to him. His agitation was such, that had Claude
retained his powers of observation, he must have found something strange
in this anxiety. "Listen! If you find the casket, on your life touch
nothing in it! On your life!" Blondel repeated, his hands clinging more
tightly to the other's arm. "Bring it entire--touch nothing! If you do
not promise me I will raise the alarm here and now! To open it, I warn
you, is to risk all!"

"I will bring it!" Claude answered, his foot on the steps, his hand on
the latch. "I will bring it!"

"Ay, but you do not know what hangs on it! You will bring it as you find
it?"

His persistence was so strange, he clung to the young man's arm with so
complete an abandonment of his ordinary manner, that, with the latch
half raised, Claude looked at him in wonder. "Very well, I will bring it
as I find it!" he muttered. Then, notwithstanding a movement which the
Syndic made to restrain him, he pushed the door.

It was not locked, and, in a moment, he stood in the living-room which
he had left little more than an hour before. It was untenanted, but not
in darkness; a rushlight, set in an earthen vessel on the hearth, flung
long shadows on the walls and ceiling, and gave to the room, so homely
in its e