said, with a smile, "You have nothing to fear now; and here is the
doctor, who will pledge his word that I will do myself no mischief."

"Madame," said the gaoler, handing her the pin she wanted, "I beg your
pardon for keeping you waiting. I swear I did not distrust you; if
anyone distrusts you, it is not I."

Then kneeling before her, he begged to kiss her hand. She gave it, and
asked him to pray to God for her. "Ah yes," he cried, sobbing, "with all
my heart." She then fastened her dress as best she could with her hands
tied, and when the gaoler had gone and she was alone with the doctor,
said:--

"Did you not hear what I said, sir? I told you there was fire in my
sentence. And though it is only after death that my body is to be burnt,
it will always be a terrible disgrace on my memory. I am saved the pain
of being burnt alive, and thus, perhaps, saved from a death of despair,
but the shamefulness is the same, and it is that I think of."

"Madame," said the doctor, "it in no way affects your soul's salvation
whether your body is cast into the fire and reduced to ashes or whether
it is buried in the ground and eaten by worms, whether it is drawn on a
hurdle and thrown upon a dung-heap, or embalmed with Oriental perfumes
and laid in a rich man's tomb. Whatever may be your end, your body will
arise on the appointed day, and if Heaven so will, it will come forth
from its ashes more glorious than a royal corpse lying at this moment in
a gilded casket. Obsequies, madame, are for those who survive, not for
the dead."

A sound was heard at the door of the choir. The doctor went to see what
it was, and found a man who insisted on entering, all but fighting with
the executioner. The doctor approached and asked what was the matter.
The man was a saddler, from whom the marquise had bought a carriage
before she left France; this she had partly paid for, but still owed him
two hundred livres. He produced the note he had had from her, on which
was a faithful record of the sums she had paid on account. The marquise
at this point called out, not knowing what was going on, and the doctor
and executioner went to her. "Have they come to fetch me already?" said
she. "I am not well prepared just at this moment; but never mind, I am
ready."

The doctor reassured her, and told her what was going on. "The man is
quite right," she said to the executioner; "tell him I will give orders
as far as I can about the money." Then,