hat she felt was a kind of
astonishment that things should be as they were. However, she had again
begun to listen, repeating that if that frightful silence continued,
she would certainly sink upon a chair, close her eyes, and sleep. And
at last it seemed to her that she detected a faint sound, scarcely a
breath, far away.

What was it? No, there was nothing yet. Perhaps she had dreamt that
horrible scene, perhaps it had all been a nightmare; that man marching
on, that black pit, that loud cry of terror! Since she heard nothing,
perhaps nothing had really happened. Were it true a clamor would have
ascended from below in a growing wave of sound, and a distracted rush
up the staircase and along the passages would have brought her the news.
Then again she detected the faint distant sound, which seemed to draw
a little nearer. It was not the tramping of a crowd; it seemed to be a
mere footfall, perhaps that of some pedestrian on the quay. Yet no; it
came from the works, and now it was quite distinct; it ascended steps
and then sped along a passage. And the steps became quicker, and a
panting could be heard, so tragical that she at last divined that the
horror was at hand. All at once the door was violently flung open.
Morange entered. He was alone, beside himself, with livid face and
scarce able to stammer.

"He still breathes, but his head is smashed; it is all over."

"What ails you?" she asked. "What is the matter?"

He looked at her, agape. He had hastened upstairs at a run to ask
her for an explanation, for he had quite lost his poor head over that
unaccountable catastrophe. And the apparent ignorance and tranquillity
in which he found Constance completed his dismay.

"But I left you near the trap," said he.

"Near the trap, yes. You went down, and I immediately came up here."

"But before I went down," he resumed with despairing violence, "I begged
you to wait for me and keep a watch on the hole, so that nobody might
fall through it."

"Oh! dear no. You said nothing to me, or, at all events, I heard
nothing, understood nothing of that kind."

In his terror he peered into her eyes. Assuredly she was lying. Calm as
she might appear, he could detect her voice trembling. Besides, it was
evident she must still have been there, since he had not even had time
to get below before it happened. And all at once he recalled their
conversation, the questions she had asked him and her cry of hatred
against the unfortunat