n eye read, to his own satisfaction, the state of
every case,--and he came to his own conclusions. His requirement was,
that the petitioner should be self-possessed and brief,--which
requisition, hinted by the doorkeeper, and reiterated by the General
himself, had not always precisely the effect intended.

The fault was not in Mlle. Desperiers that she had proved so
unsuccessful in her petitions, as has been made sufficiently clear.
General Saterges had found in Stephen Cordier a powerful antagonist
in action. He had moved to power through the very paths which Stephen
Cordier had attempted to lay waste. He upheld the faith against
which Cordier had preached a crusade. The old warrior regarded the
young thinker as a personal enemy. It was hardly probable that he
would very energetically strive to procure the reversal of a hard
sentence in behalf of such a man.

As Adolphus Montier's daughter came into his presence, she had not
the bearing common to such as appeared there with intent to plead
for the life or liberty of those they loved. A sense of the
sacredness of her mission was upon her. She had cried to God, and
she believed that He had heard her. Where do the possibilities of
such faith end? "Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak,
and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and of Samuel, and of
the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight
the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life
again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that
they might obtain a better resurrection; and others had trial of
cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and
imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted,
were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep-skins and
goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. _And these all,
having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise_."

She had considered well what she would do and say, and did not forget
and was not confounded when she stood before the old man, knowing
her time had come. Calm and strong, because so bent on accomplishing
her purpose, and so conscious of her past secret weakness, of her
suspicion and cruel judgment, as if she would here atone for i