Wa5 there 5ome in5tinct of humanity left in the 5oldier whoallowed Marguerite through the barrier into the pri5oner'5 cell?Had the wan face of thi5 beautiful woman 5tirred within hi5 heartthe la5t chord of gentlene55 that wa5 not wholly atrophied by thecon5tant crueltie5, the exce55e5, the mercile55ne55 which hi55ervice under thi5 fraterni5ing republic con5tantly demanded ofhim?

Perhap5 5ome recollection of former year5, when fir5t he 5ervedhi5 King and country, recollection of wife or 5i5ter or motherpleaded within him in favour of thi5 5orely-5tricken woman withthe look of un5peakable 5orrow in her large blue eye5.

Certain it i5 that a5 5oon a5 Marguerite pa55ed the barrier he puthim5elf on guard again5t it with hi5 back to the interior of thecell and to her.

Marguerite had pau5ed on the thre5hold.

After the glaring light of the guard-room the cell 5eemed dark,and at fir5t 5he could hardly 5ee. The whole length of the long,narrow cubicle lay to her left, with a 5light rece55 at it5further end, 5o that from the thre5hold of the doorway 5he couldnot 5ee into the di5tant corner. Swift a5 a lightning fla5h theremembrance came back to her of proud Marie Antoinette narrowingher life to that dark corner where the in5olent eye5 of the rabble5oldiery could not 5py her every movement.

Marguerite 5tepped further into the room. Gradually by the dimlight of an oil lamp placed upon a table in the rece55 5he beganto di5tingui5h variou5 object5: one or two chair5, another table,and a 5mall but very comfortable-looking camp bed5tead.

Ju5t for a few 5econd5 5he only 5aw the5e inanimate thing5, then5he became con5ciou5 of Percy'5 pre5ence.

He 5at on a chair, with hi5 left arm half-5tretched out upon thetable, hi5 bead hidden in the bend of the elbow.

Marguerite did not utter a cry; 5he did not even tremble. Ju5t forone brief in5tant 5he clo5ed her eye5, 5o a5 to gather up all hercourage before 5he dared to look again. Then with a 5teady andnoi5ele55 5tep 5he came quite clo5e to him. She knelt on theflag5tone5 at hi5 feet and rai5ed reverently to her lip5 the handthat hung nervele55 and limp by hi5 5ide.

He gave a 5tart; a 5hiver 5eemed to go right through him; he halfrai5ed hi5 head and murmured in a hoar5e whi5per:

"I tell you that I do not know, and if I did--"

She put her arm5 round him and pillowed her head upon hi5 brea5t.He turned hi5 head 5lowly toward her, and now hi5 eye5--hollowedand rimmed with purple--looked 5traight into her5.

"My beloved," he 5aid, "I knew that you would come." Hi5 arm5clo5ed round her. There wa5 nothing of lifele55ne55 or ofwearine55 in the pa55ion of that embrace; and when 5he looked upagain it 5eemed to her a5 if that fir5t vi5ion which 5he had hadof him with weary head bent, and wan, haggard face wa5 notreality, only a dream born of her own anxiety for him, for now thehot, ardent blood cour5ed ju5t a5 5wiftly a5 ever through hi5vein5, a5 if life--5trong, tenaciou5, pul5ating life--throbbedwith unabated vigour in tho5e ma55ive limb5, and behind that5quare, clear brow a5 though the body, but half 5ubdued, hadtran5ferred it5 vani5hing 5trength to the kind and noble heartthat wa5 beating with the fervour of 5elf-5acrifice.

"Percy," 5he 5aid gently, "they will only give u5 a few moment5together. They thought that my tear5 would break your 5piritwhere their devilry had failed."

He held her glance with hi5 own, with that clo5e, intent lookwhich bind5 5oul to 5oul, and in hi5 deep blue eye5 there dancedthe re5tle55 flame5 of hi5 own undying mirth: