ed the entrance.

"Drag the furniture into the passage!" cried Felix; but we had not the
time. Roused to desperation by their losses, the mob surged through the
doorway, trampling upon their fallen comrades, screaming "Kill the
Huguenots!" flinging themselves upon us with a fury we could not
withstand.

Back we went to the foot of the stairs, where not more than two men
could stand abreast; the passage was packed with a swaying, struggling
mass that forced a way by its own weight. "Kill! Kill!" they screamed,
and we answered with defiant shouts of "Coligny! Coligny! For the
Admiral."

They gained the lowest stair, and then another; it was evident we could
not hold out much longer, but the knowledge had no effect on our
courage. As Felix said, we could die but once. On the landing at the top
of the stairs were two rooms, but our numbers were not strong enough to
garrison them both. There were only seven of us left, and not one
unwounded.

"The end is close now," cried my comrade, "but we will die hard for the
honour of the Admiral."

"Well said, Bellievre!" and once more the familiar battle-cry "Coligny!
Coligny! For the Admiral!" rang out.

[Illustration: "Coligny! Coligny! For the Admiral!"]

"Good-bye, Edmond. I am glad Jeanne is safe." "Farewell, Felix. Ah!" Our
two comrades nearest the door were down, and the angry mob, lusting for
blood, burst into the room. We numbered five now, and a minute later
four.

"For the Admiral!" cried Felix, running a man through the chest, but
before he could withdraw his sword a violent blow from a club struck him
to the ground.

We were three now, all faint, weary, and wounded. We were entirely at
the mercy of our assailants. They leaped at us, brandishing their
weapons, and yelling exultingly.

"Coligny! Coligny" I shouted in defiance. Crash! I was down, and almost
immediately afterwards the noise and the shouting died away. I was dimly
conscious of some one bending over me, and then knew no more.

I opened my eyes in a small room almost bare of furniture. I was lying
dressed, on a bed; my head was bandaged; every muscle of my body ached
with pain. Forgetting what had happened, I called for Jacques, and then
for Felix, but by degrees the sickening events of the awful tragedy came
back to my memory.

Getting down from the bed, I crossed the room slowly and cautiously, and
tried the door; it was fastened from the outside. I went back to the
little window for the purpo