ssible victims and the other for the agents de police. The cafes and
wine-shops are aglare and the terrasse chairs are crowded to their
fullest of the day.

The spectacle, therefore, of a pretty bonne racing along the middle of
the street very naturally attracted considerable attention.

This attention became excitement when another woman, who seemed to
spring from the same source, broke away in hot pursuit of the servant.

Nothing so generously appealed to the sensitiveness of Rue St. Jacques
as a case of jealousy, and women-baiting was a favorite amusement of
the quarter.

There was now a universal howl of delight and approbation. When the
pursuing woman tripped and fell into the gutter the crowd greeted the
unfortunate with a shower of unprintable pleasantries.

"Ma foi! but she is outclassed!"

"Oh, she's only stopped to rest."

"Too much absinthe!"

"The cow can never catch the calf!"

"The fat salope! To think she could have any show in a race or in love
with the pretty bonne!"

"Yes; but where's the man?"

"Dame! It is one-eyed Mad!"

"Let her alone,--she's drunk!"

The fallen woman had laboriously regained her feet and turned a
torrent of vulgar maledictions upon the jeering crowd.

Then, having regained her equilibrium, she staggered forward in
renewed pursuit. The broad-bladed, double-edged knife of the Paris
assassin gleamed in her right hand.

"Bah! she will never catch her," said a man whose attention had been
called to this.

"Let them fight it out," assented his companion.

"Hold! She is down again."

Madeleine had reached the Rue Soufflot, and, in turning the corner
sharply, had fallen against the irregular curb.

The stragglers from the wine-shops hooted. The drunken women fairly
screamed with delight. It was so amusing.

But Madeleine did not get up this time.

This was more amusing still; for the crowd, now considerably augmented
by the refuse from the neighboring tenements, launched all sorts of
humorous suggestions at the prostrate figure, laughing uproariously at
individual wit.

A few ran to where the dark figure lay, and a merry ruffian playfully
kicked the prostrate woman.

Still the woman stirred not.

The ruffian who had just administered the kick slipped and fell upon
her, whereat the crowd fairly split with laughter. It was so droll!

But the man did not join in this, for he saw that he had slipped in a
thin red stream that flowed sluggishly towards the gutt