accent: "That is a good one! that is a good one! And what are
you doing here, you little one?"

Confused, at first, she did not answer, as she did not, in her
excitement, understand fully what he said; then, as soon as the
meaning of it dawned on her mind, she shouted at him indignantly
and vehemently: "I, I, I am not a woman! I am a prostitute! and
that is all a Prussian deserves!"

Hardly had she finished, that he slapped her face violently; but,
as he was raising his hand again, maddened with rage she caught on
the table a small silver-bladed dessert knife, and so quickly that
nobody noticed it, she stabbed him right in the neck, just at the
hollow where the breast begins.

A word, that he was about to mutter, was cut short in his throat,
and he remained stiff, with his mouth open and a frightful look.

All shouted and got up tumultuously; but having thrown her chair
in the legs of Lieutenant Otto, who collapsed and fell down at full
length, she ran to the window, opened it before they could catch
her, and jumped out in the night, under the rain that was still
falling.

In two minutes Mademoiselle Fifi was dead. Then Fritz and Otto drew
their swords and wanted to massacre the women, who threw themselves
to their knees; the Major, not without difficulty, prevented the
butchery and had the four bewildered girls locked up in a room
and guarded by two soldiers; and then, as if he were disposing his
men for battle, he organized the search for the fugitive[*], quite