"Let go," she laughingly cried; "let go, I can get down alone very
well." And when she was seated on the stone slab she added:

"Have you been waiting for me long? I've been running, and am quite out
of breath."

Silvere made no reply. He seemed in no laughing humour, but gazed
sorrowfully into the girl's face. "I wanted to see you, Miette," he
said, as he seated himself beside her. "I should have waited all night
for you. I am going away at daybreak to-morrow morning."

Miette had just caught sight of the gun lying on the grass, and with a
thoughtful air, she murmured: "Ah! so it's decided then? There's your
gun!"

"Yes," replied Silvere, after a brief pause, his voice still faltering,
"it's my gun. I thought it best to remove it from the house to-night;
to-morrow morning aunt Dide might have seen me take it, and have felt
uneasy about it. I am going to hide it, and shall fetch it just before
starting."

Then, as Miette could not remove her eyes from the weapon which he had
so foolishly left on the grass, he jumped up and again hid it among the
woodstacks.

"We learnt this morning," he said, as he resumed his seat, "that the
insurgents of La Palud and Saint Martin-de-Vaulx were on the march, and
spent last night at Alboise. We have decided to join them. Some of the
workmen of Plassans have already left the town this afternoon; those who