me; pray do!"

"Hush!" said the capitaine. "They'll hear you if you call." He
could not endure that the world should learn that a marriage with him
had been so distasteful to Marie Clavert.

"Marie, dear Marie!" called Madame Bauche, louder than before, quite
regardless of the capitaine' s feelings; but no Marie answered. In
her innermost heart now did La Mere Bauche wish that this cruel
marriage had been left undone.

Adolphe was foremost with his lamp, but he hardly dared to look in
the spot where he felt that it was most likely that she should have
taken refuge. How could he meet her again, alone, in that grotto?
Yet he alone of the four was young. It was clearly for him to
ascend. "Marie," he shouted, "are you there?" as he slowly began the
long ascent of the steps.

But he had hardly begun to mount when a whirring sound struck his
ear, and he felt that the air near him was moved; and then there was
a crash upon the lower platform of rock, and a moan, repeated twice,
but so faintly, and a rustle of silk, and a slight struggle somewhere
as he knew within twenty paces of him; and then all was again quiet
and still in the night air.

"What was that?" asked the capitaine in a hoarse voice. He made his
way half across the little garden, and he also was within forty or
fifty yards of the flat rock. But Adolphe was unable to answer him.
He had fainted and the lamp had fallen from his hands and rolled to
the bottom of the steps.