and a
minute ago I saw a fire very different from the fire of love, which only
some displeasing sight can have provoked. What may this be? Tell me,
pray; for you promised to tell me of any sort of temptation that might
assail you."

"Sir," she said, "I will do so, but it is nothing." Then, looking
towards the executioner, who, as we know, sat facing the doctor, she
said, "Put me in front of you, please; hide that man from me." And she
stretched out her hands towards a man who was following the tumbril on
horseback, and so dropped the torch, which the doctor took, and the
crucifix, which fell on the floor. The executioner looked back, and then
turned sideways as she wished, nodding and saying, "Oh yes, I
understand." The doctor pressed to know what it meant, and she said, "It
is nothing worth telling you, and it is a weakness in me not to be able
to bear the sight of a man who has ill-used me. The man who touched the
back of the tumbril is Desgrais, who arrested me at Liege, and treated me
so badly all along the road. When I saw him, I could not control myself,
as you noticed."

"Madame," said the doctor, "I have heard of him, and you yourself spoke
of him in confession; but the man was sent to arrest you, and was in a
responsible position, so that he had to guard you closely and rigorously;
even if he had been more severe, he would only have been carrying out his
orders. Jesus Christ, madame, could but have regarded His executioners
as ministers of iniquity, servants of injustice, who added of their own
accord every indignity they could think of; yet all along the way He
looked on them with patience and more than patience, and in His death He
prayed for them."

In the heart of the marquise a hard struggle was passing, and this was
reflected on her face; but it was only for a moment, and after a last
convulsive shudder she was again calm and serene; then she said:--

"Sir, you are right, and I am very wrong to feel such a fancy as this:
may God forgive me; and pray remember this fault on the scaffold, when
you give me the absolution you promise, that this too may be pardoned
me." Then she turned to the executioner and said, "Please sit where you
were before, that I may see M. Desgrais." The man hesitated, but on a
sign from the doctor obeyed. The marquise looked fully at Desgrais for
some time, praying for him; then, fixing her eyes on the crucifix, began
to pray for herself: this incident occurred in fro