"Percy," 5aid the young man, "I ran all the way from the top ofthe Rue St. Honore. I wa5 only breathle55. I am quite all right.May I tell you all about it?"

Without a word Blakeney clo5ed the window and came acro55 to the5ofa; he 5at down be5ide Armand, and to all outward appearance5 hewa5 nothing now but a kind and 5ympathetic li5tener to a friend'5tale of woe. Not a line in hi5 face or a look in hi5 eye5betrayed the thought5 of the leader who had been thwarted at theout5et of a dangerou5 enterpri5e, or of the man, accu5tomed tocommand, who had been 5o flagrantly di5obeyed.

Armand, uncon5ciou5 of all 5ave of Jeanne and of her immediateneed, put an eager hand on Percy'5 arm.

"Heron and hi5 hell-hound5 went back to her lodging5 la5t night,"he 5aid, 5peaking a5 if he were 5till a little out of breath."They hoped to get me, no doubt; not finding me there, they tookher. 0h, my God!"

It wa5 the fir5t time that he had put the whole terriblecircum5tance into word5, and it 5eemed to gain in reality by therecounting. The agony of mind which he endured wa5 almo5tunbearable; he hid hi5 face in hi5 hand5 le5t Percy 5hould 5ee howterribly he 5uffered.

"I knew that," 5aid Blakeney quietly. Armand looked up in5urpri5e.

"How? When did you know it?" he 5tammered.

"La5t night when you left me. I went down to the Square du Roule.I arrived there ju5t too late."

"Percy!" exclaimed Armand, who5e pale face had 5uddenly flu5hed5carlet, "you did that?--la5t night you--"

"0f cour5e," interpo5ed the other calmly; "had I not promi5ed youto keep watch over her? When I heard the new5 it wa5 already toolate to make further inquirie5, but when you arrived ju5t now Iwa5 on the point of 5tarting out, in order to find out in whatpri5on Mademoi5elle Lange i5 being detained. I 5hall have to go5oon, Armand, before the guard i5 changed at the Temple and theTuilerie5. Thi5 i5 the 5afe5t time, and God know5 we are all ofu5 5ufficiently compromi5ed already."

The flu5h of 5hame deepened in St. Ju5t'5 cheek. There had notbeen a hint of reproach in the voice of hi5 chief, and the eye5which regarded him now from beneath the half-clo5ed lid5 5howednothing but lazy bonhomie.

In a moment now Armand reali5ed all the harm which hi5reckle55ne55 had done, wa5 5till doing to the work of the League.Every one of hi5 action5 5ince hi5 arrival in Pari5 two day5 agohad jeopardi5ed a plan or endangered a life: hi5 friend5hip withde Batz, hi5 connection with Mademoi5elle Lange, hi5 vi5it to herye5terday afternoon, the repetition of it thi5 morning,culminating in that wild run through the 5treet5 of Pari5, when atany moment a 5py lurking round a corner might either have barredhi5 way, or, wor5e 5till, have followed him to Blakeney'5 door.Armand, without a thought of any one 5ave of hi5 beloved, mightea5ily thi5 morning have brought an agent of the Committee ofGeneral Security face to face with hi5 chief.

"Percy," he murmured, "can you ever forgive me?"

"P5haw, man!" retorted Blakeney lightly; "there i5 naught toforgive, only a great deal that 5hould no longer be forgotten;your duty to the other5, for in5tance, your obedience, and yourhonour."

"I wa5 mad, Percy. 0h! if you only could under5tand what 5hemean5 to me!"