ed。　The　Republic！〃　she　cried　in　a　voice　the　strange　intonations　of　which　horrified　Hulot。　〃Is　he　to　die　for　bearing　arms　against　the　nation？　Shall　I　suffer　France　to　rob　me　of　my　vengeance？　Ah！　what　a　little　thing　is　life！　death　can　expiate　but　one　crime。　He　has　but　one　head　to　fall；　but　I　will　make　him　know　in　one　night　that　he　loses　more　than　life。　Commandant；　you　who　will　kill　him；〃　and　she　sighed；　〃see　that　nothing　betrays　my　betrayal；　he　must　die　convinced　of　my　fidelity。　I　ask　that　of　you。　Let　him　know　only　meme；　and　my　caresses！〃
  She　stopped；　but　through　the　crimson　of　her　cheeks　Hulot　and　Corentin　saw　that　rage　and　delirium　had　not　entirely　smothered　all　sense　of　shame。　Marie　shuddered　violently　as　she　said　the　words；　she　seemed　to　listen　to　them　as　though　she　doubted　whether　she　herself　had　said　them；　and　she　made　the　involuntary　movement　of　a　woman　whose　veil　is　falling　from　her。
  〃But　you　had　him　in　your　power；〃　said　Corentin。
  〃Very　likely。〃
  〃Why　did　you　stop　me　when　I　had　him？〃　asked　Hulot。
  〃I　did　not　know　what　he　would　prove　to　be；〃　she　cried。　Then；　suddenly；　the　excited　woman；　who　was　walking　up　and　down　with　hurried　steps　and　casting　savage　glances　at　the　spectators　of　the　storm；　calmed　down。　〃I　do　not　know　myself；〃　she　said；　in　a　man's　tone。　〃Why　talk？　I　must　go　and　find　him。〃
  〃Go　and　find　him？〃　said　Hulot。　〃My　dear　woman；　take　care；　we　are　not　yet　masters　of　this　part　of　the　country；　if　you　venture　outside　of　the　town　you　will　be　taken　or　killed　before　you've　gone　a　hundred　yards。〃
  〃There's　never　any　danger　for　those　who　seek　vengeance；〃　she　said；　driving　from　her　presence　with　a　disdainful　gesture　the　two　men　whom　she　was　ashamed　to　face。
  〃What　a　woman！〃　cried　Hulot　as　he　walked　away　with　Corentin。　〃A　queer　idea　of　those　police　fellows　in　Paris　to　send　her　here；　but　she'll　never　deliver　him　up　to　us；〃　he　added；　shaking　his　head。
  〃Oh　yes；　she　will；〃　replied　Corentin。
  〃Don't　you　see　she　loves　him？〃　said　Hulot。
  〃That's　just　why　she　will。　Besides；〃　looking　at　the　amazed　commandant；　〃I　am　here　to　see　that　she　doesn't　commit　any　folly。　In　my　opinion；　comrade；　there　is　no　love　in　the　world　worth　the　three　hundred　thousand　francs　she'll　make　out　of　this。〃
  When　the　police　diplomatist　left　the　soldier　the　latter　stood　looking　after　him；　and　as　the　sound　of　the　man's　steps　died　away　he　gave　a　sigh；　muttering　to　himself；　〃It　may　be　a　good　thing　after　all　to　be　such　a　dullard　as　I　am。　God's　thunder！　if　I　meet　the　Gars　I'll　fight　him　hand　to　hand；　or　my　name's　not　Hulot；　for　if　that　fox　brings　him　before　me　in　any　of　their　new…fangled　councils　of　war；　my　honor　will　be　as　soiled　as　the　shirt　of　a　young　trooper　who　is　under　fire　for　the　first　time。〃
  The　massacre　at　La　Vivetiere；　and　the　desire　to　avenge　his　friends　had　led　Hulot　to　accept　a　reinstatement　in　his　late　command；　in　fact；　the　new　minister；　Berthier；　had　refused　to　accept　his　resignation　under　existing　circumstances。　To　the　official　despatch　was　added　a　private　letter；　in　which；　without　explaining　the　mission　of　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil；　the　minister　informed　him　that　the　affair　was　entirely　outside　of　the　war；　and　not　to　interfere　with　any　military　operations。　The　duty　of　the　commanders；　he　said；　was　limited　to　giving　assistance　to　that　honorable　/citoyenne/；　if　occasion　arose。　Learning　from　his　scouts　that　the　movements　of　the　Chouans　all　tended　towards　a　concentration　of　their　forces　in　the　neighborhood　of　Fougeres；　Hulot　secretly　and　with　forced　marches　brought　two　battalions　of　his　brigade　into　the　town。　The　nation's　danger；　his　hatred　of　aristocracy；　whose　partisans　threatened　to　convulse　so　large　a　section　of　country；　his　desire　to　avenge　his　murdered　friends；　revived　in　the　old　veteran　the　fire　of　his　youth。
  *****
  〃So　this　is　the　life　I　craved；〃　exclaimed　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil；　when　she　was　left　alone　with　Francine。　〃No　matter　how　fast　the　hours　go；　they　are　to　me　like　centuries　of　thought。〃
  Suddenly　she　took　Francine's　hand；　and　her　voice；　soft　as　that　of　the　first　red…throat　singing　after　a　storm；　slowly　gave　sound　to　the　following　words：
  〃Try　as　I　will　to　forget　them；　I　see　those　two　delicious　lips；　that　chin　just　raised；　those　eyes　of　fire；　I　hear　the　'Hue！'　of　the　postilion；　I　dream；　I　dream；why　then　such　hatred　on　awakening！〃
  She　drew　a　long　sigh；　rose；　and　then　for　the　first　time　looked　out　upon　the　country　delivered　over　to　civil　war　by　the　cruel　leader　whom　she　was　plotting　to　destroy。　Attracted　by　the　scene　she　wandered　out　to　breathe　at　her　ease　beneath　the　sky；　and　though　her　steps　conducted　her　at　a　venture；　she　was　surely　led　to　the　Promenade　of　the　town　by　one　of　those　occult　impulses　of　the　soul　which　lead　us　to　follow　hope　irrationally。　Thoughts　conceived　under　the　dominion　of　that　spell　are　often　realized；　but　we　then　attribute　their　pre…vision　to　a　power　we　call　presentiment；an　inexplicable　power；　but　a　real　one；which　our　passions　find　accommodating；　like　a　flatterer　who；　among　his　many　lies；　does　sometimes　tell　the　truth。
  III
  A　DAY　WITHOUT　A　MORROW
  The　preceding　events　of　this　history　having　been　greatly　influenced　by　the　formation　of　the　regions　in　which　they　happened；　it　is　desirable　to　give　a　minute　description　of　them；　without　which　the　closing　scenes　might　be　difficult　of　comprehension。
  The　town　of　Fougeres　is　partly　built　upon　a　slate　rock；　which　seems　to　have　slipped　from　the　mountains　that　hem　in　the　broad　valley　of　Couesnon　to　the　west　and　take　various　names　according　to　their　localities。　The　town　is　separated　from　the　mountains　by　a　gorge；　through　which　flows　a　small　river　called　the　Nancon。　To　the　east；　the　view　is　the　same　as　from　the　summit　of　La　Pelerine；　to　the　west；　the　town　looks　down　into　the　tortuous　valley　of　the　Nancon；　but　there　is　a　spot　from　which　a　section　of　the　great　valley　and　the　picturesque　windings　of　the　gorge　can　be　seen　at　the　same　time。　This　place；　chosen　by　the　inhabitants　of　the　town　for　their　Promenade；　and　to　which　the　steps　of　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　were　now　turned；　was　destined　to　be　the　theatre　on　which　the　drama　begun　at　La　Vivetiere　was　to　end。　Therefore；　however　picturesque　the　other　parts　of　Fougeres　may　be；　attention　must　be　particularly　given　to　the　scenery　which　meets　the　eye　from　this　terrace。
  To　give　an　idea　of　the　rock　on　which　Fougeres　stands；　as　seen　on　this　side；　we　may　compare　it　to　one　of　those　immense　towers　circled　by　Saracen　architects　with　balconies　on　each　story；　which　were　reached　by　spiral　stairways。　To　add　to　this　effect；　the　rock　is　capped　by　a　Gothic　church；　the　small　spires；　clock…tower；　and　buttresses　of　which　make　its　shape　almost　precisely　that　of　a　sugar…loaf。　Before　the　portal　of　this　church；　which　is　dedicated　to　Saint…Leonard；　is　a　small；　irregular　square；　where　the　soil　is　held　up　by　a　buttressed　wall；　which　forms　a　balustrade　and　communicates　by　a　flight　of　steps　with　the　Promenade。　This　public　walk；　like　a　second　cornice；　extends　round　the　rock　a　few　rods　below　the　square　of　Saint…Leonard；　it　is　a　broad　piece　of　ground　planted　with　trees；　and　it　joins　the　fortifications　of　the　town。　About　ten　rods　below　the　walls　and　rocks　which　support　this　Promenade　（due　to　a　happy　combination　of　indestructible　slate　and　patient　industry）　another　circular　road　exists；　called　the　〃Queen's　Staircase〃；　this　is　cut　in　the　rock　itself　and　leads　to　a　bridge　built　across　the　Nancon　by　Anne　of　Brittany。　Below　this　road；　which　forms　a　third　cornice；　gardens　descend；　terrace　after　terrace；　to　the　river；　like　shelves　covered　with　flowers。
  Parallel　with　the　Promenade；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Nancon　and　across　its　narrow　valley；　high　rock…formations；　called　the　heights　of　Saint…Sulpice；　follow　the　stream　and　descend　in　gentle　slopes　to　the　great　valley；　where　they　turn　abruptly　to　the　north。　Towards　the　south；　where　the　town　itself　really　ends　and　the　faubourg　Saint…　Leonard　begins；　the　Fougeres　rock　makes　a　bend；　becomes　less　steep；　and　turns　into　the　great　valley；　following　the　course　of　the　river；　which　it　hems　in　between　itself　and　the　heights　of　Saint…Sulpice；　forming　a　sort　of　pass　through　which　the　water　escapes　in　two　streamlets　to　the　Couesnon；　into　which　they　fall。　This　pretty　group　of　rocky　hills　is　called　the　〃Nid…aux…Crocs〃；　the　little　vale　they　surround　is　the　〃Val　de　Gibarry；〃　the　rich　pastures　of　which　supply　the　butter　known　to　epicures　as　that　of　the　〃Pree…Valaye。〃
  At　the　point　where　the　Promenade　joins　the　fortifications　is　a　tower　called　the　〃Tour　de　Papegaut。〃　Close　to　this　square　erection；　against　the　side　of　which　the　house　now　occupied　by　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　rested；　is　a　wall；　partly　built　by　hands　and　partly　formed　of　the　native　rock　where　it　offered　a　smooth　surface。　Here　stands　a　gateway　leading　to　the　faubourg　of　Saint…Sulpice　and　bearing　the　same　name。　Above；　on　a　breastwork　of　granite　which　commands　the　three　valleys；　rise　the　battlements　and　feudal　towers　of　the　ancient　castle　of　Fougeres；one　of　those　enormous　erections　built　by　the　Dukes　of　Brittany；　with　lofty　walls　fifteen　feet　thick；　protected　on　the　east　by　a　pond　from　which　flows　the　Nancon；　the　waters　of　which　fill　its　moats；　and　on　the　west　by　the　inaccessible　granite　rock　on　which　it　stands。
  Seen　from　the　Promenade；　thi