silence, watching Virginie with an air of infinite tenderness.

"'Will you not try him, my cherished one?' he said. 'Towards you he may
mean well' (which makes me think that Virginie had never repeated to
Clement the conversation which she had overheard that last night at
Madame Babette's); 'you would be in no worse a situation than you were
before!'

"'No worse, Clement! and I should have known what you were, and have lost
you. My Clement!' said she, reproachfully.

"'Ask him,' said she, turning to Jacques, suddenly, 'if he can save
Monsieur de Crequy as well,--if he can?--O Clement, we might escape to
England; we are but young.' And she hid her face on his shoulder.

"Jacques returned to the stranger, and asked him Virginie's question. His
eyes were fixed on the cousins; he was very pale, and the twitchings or
contortions, which must have been involuntary whenever he was agitated,
convulsed his whole body.

"He made a long pause. 'I will save mademoiselle and monsieur, if she
will go straight from prison to the mairie, and be my wife.'

"'Your wife!' Jacques could not help exclaiming, 'That she will never
be--never!'

"'Ask her!' said Morin, hoarsely.

"But almost before Jacques thought he could have fairly uttered the
words, Clement caught their meaning.