the
grenadier. He raised his sabre threateningly, delayed the departure, and
made the men stand closer together, in spite of threatening yells.

"I shall fall in!... I shall go overboard!..." his fellows shouted.

"Let us start! Put off!"

The major gazed with tearless eyes at the woman he loved; an impulse of
sublime resignation raised her eyes to heaven.

"To die with you!" she said.

In the situation of the folk upon the raft there was a certain comic
element. They might utter hideous yells, but not one of them dared to
oppose the grenadier, for they were packed together so tightly that
if one man were knocked down, the whole raft might capsize. At this
delicate crisis, a captain tried to rid himself of one of his neighbors;
the man saw the hostile intention of his officer, collared him, and
pitched him overboard. "Aha! The duck has a mind to drink. ... Over with
you!--There is room for two now!" he shouted. "Quick, major! throw your
little woman over, and come! Never mind that old dotard! he will drop
off to-morrow!"

"Be quick!" cried a voice, made up of a hundred voices.

"Come, major! Those fellows are making a fuss, and well they may."

The Comte de Vandieres flung off his ragged blankets, and stood before
them in his general's uniform.

"Let us save the Count," said Philip.

Stephanie grasped his hand tightly in hers, flung her arms about, and
clasped him close in an agonized embrace.

"Farewell!" she said.

Then each knew the other's thoughts. The Comte de Vandieres recovered
his energies and presence of mind sufficiently to jump on to the raft,
whither Stephanie followed him after one last look at Philip.

"Major, won't you take my place? I do not care a straw for life; I have
neither a wife, nor child, nor mother belonging to me--"

"I give them into your charge," cried the major, indicating the Count
and his wife.

"Be easy; I will take as much care of them as of the apple of my eye."

Philip stood stock-still on the bank. The raft sped so violently towards
the opposite shore that it ran aground with a violent shock to all on
board. The Count, standing on the very edge, was shaken into the stream;
and as he fell, a mass of ice swept by and struck off his head, and sent
it flying like a ball.

"Hey! major!" shouted the grenadier.

"Farewell!" a woman's voice called aloud.

An icy shiver ran through Philip de Sucy, and he dropped down where he
stood, overcome with cold and sorrow and w