usual in her fine,
high-bred face, nor a quiver to her slender hands, nor a tremor in
her voice as she repeated some familiar psalm, or led us in the
prayers we offered unceasingly throughout the long night. Her
calmness, superior to the alarm without, dominated over the more
ignorant--she put away danger from before them--as her unshaken
confidence in a high protection inspired the more courageous.

But, for faint and stout hearted alike, it was a fearful night.
For hours the great guns played without ceasing; at the nearer
explosions the very rock on which the house was founded seemed
loosened, and the effort to control ourselves and not leap to our
feet with the terrified servants became such a strain on Angelique
and myself that we dared not let our eyes meet, for fear of an
outburst of tears.

Some time during the night, at an unusual uproar in the street,
Mme. de Sarennes sent one of the men-servants to the upper windows
to discover its cause. In a few moments he returned with
horror-stricken face--"O mon Dieu, madame! the Cathedral is on
fire! We are lost!" At which, a wail of despair broke from us all.
Angelique's head dropped on her mother's lap. "O ma mere! It was
God's own house!" she sobbed.

Her mother's white hand softly stroked her hair with reassuring
firmness, while she whispered words of comfort. Then to every
awe-struck heart about her she said, with confidence, "It was the
house of God Himself, and He has not spared it, while His hand has
been over our roof, and He is holding each one of us safe in His
keeping"; and we took fresh courage at her words.

Gradually the fire slackened, and at length ceased. The morning
came, and we were still safe and untouched, amid the surrounding
ruin.

Soon after daybreak we heard a knock at the door, and the Town-Major,
M. Joannes, was ushered in.

He looked upon us with astonishment in his tired eyes.

"Mme. de Sarennes, no one suspected you of being here! All the
inhabitants fled from the face of the town when the fire opened.
Pardon me, but you must move at once."

"We have only been waiting for orders, monsieur. Where are we to
go?"

"To the Hotel-Dieu for the present, madame; but it is quite possible
that will soon be unsafe, now they have our range. With your
permission, I will send some men at once to move what can be carried
and stored in some safer place; for you cannot expect the house to
stand through another fire."

"It has served its pur