Fearing  to  commit  some  blunder,  he  reproduced  the
words  of  the  original  letter,  with  but  little  change  in
the  words  themselves,  but  with  an  entire  change  of
meaning.
His  note  read  as  follows  :

;<  I  have  told  her  your  wishes ;  she  does  not  submit.
Our  safety  is  threatened.  We  are  awaiting  your
orders.     I  tremble."

When  this  was  completed,  he  rolled  up  the  paper,
and  enclosing  it  in  the  fragment  of  bread,  he  said :

'  To-morrow  we  shall  learn  something."

To-morrow !  The  twenty-four  hours  that  separated
the  young  man  from  the  decisive  moment  seemed  a
century.  What  expedients  he  resorted  to,  in  order  to
hasten  the  slow  passage  of  time !

He  explained  to  Father  Absinthe  clearly  and  mi-
nutely what  he  would  have  to  do,  and,  sure  of  being
understood,  and  certain  that  he  would  be  obeyed,  he
went  back  to  his  loft.
The  evening  seemed  long,  and  the  night  intermina-
ble, for  he  found  it  impossible  to  close  an  eyelid.
He  rose  at  daybreak  and  saw  that  his  prisoner  was
awake  and  was  sitting  on  the  foot  of  the  bed.  Soon  he
sprang  up  and  paced  restlessly  to  and  fro.  He  was
evidently  in  an  unusually  agitated  frame  of  mind ;  he
gesticulated  wildly,  and  at  intervals  certain  words — al-
ways the  same  words — escaped  his  lips.
"  What  misery  !  My  God  !  what  misery !  "  he  re-
peated again  and  again.
