He took her hand and kissed it. She was content with his answer.

Margot stole forth too, and crouched behind them, holding her child to
her breast. "What can they do to us?" she asked, trembling, with the
rich colours of her face blanched white.

Bernadou smiled on her. "I do not know, my dear. I think even they can
hardly bring death upon women and children."

"They can, and they will," said a voice from the crowd.

None answered. The street was very quiet in the darkness. Far away
in the east the red glare glowed. On the wind was still that faint,
distant, ravening roar, like the roar of famished wolves; it was the
roar of fire and of war.

In the silence Reine Allix spoke: "God is good. Shall we not trust in
Him?"

With one great choking sob the people answered; their hearts were
breaking. All night long they watched in the street--they who had done
no more to bring this curse upon them than the flower-roots that slept
beneath the snow. They dared not go to their beds; they knew not when
the enemy might be upon them. They dared not flee; even in their own
woods the foe might lurk for them. One man indeed did cry aloud, "Shall
we stay here in our houses to be smoked out like bees from their hives?
Let us fly!"

But the calm, firm voice of Reine Allix rebuked him: "Let who will,
run like a hare from the hounds. For me and mine, we abide by our