Marguerite now told to her brother, her suspicions of how all had happened.  He wished to go immediately and tax Jacques with the crime; but, in deference to his sister’s wishes, remained where he was.  The noise of the mill wheel turning round suddenly ceased, and on Hirzel’s going up to ascertain the cause, he found his Father tying up the rope in the room behind the granary.  This rope passed out of a small round hole in the wall of this room, and round the corner of the house where it was attached to the wheel.  The window through which Charlie and Marguerite had been talking was rather a large one, but had some iron bars across which had prevented Marguerite leaning out to see what had become of Charlie.  This perhaps was as well, for at best his descent would have been extremely trying to look at.

The next morning did not bring Jacques to finish his work, but in the evening he appeared, after vainly trying to induce Marguerite to speak to him, which naturally she was very loath to do, went and commenced his work, which he went steadily on with, though he was very much fatigued by having no rest the preceding night, and now had been out fishing all day.  He sat down to rest for a few minutes when he fell asleep.  After dark old Pierre came round to lock all the doors, as was his nightly custom.  Looking in and not seeing Jacques he supposed he had gone and locked that door also.  Pierre then went to rest himself, and all were buried in slumber, with the exception of Hirzel, who had gone over to Jerbourg to acquaint Charlie with all that had happened.  About 9 o’clock, as Charlie and Hirzel were coming out of the barracks, they saw flames rising in the direction of the mill.  It was but the work of a moment for Charlie to run back and get leave for some of his comrades to come with him, and off they set for the mill.  On arriving there they found their surmises correct:  both house and mill were enveloped in flames.  Marguerite and her Father were safely out, but the latter was in a dreadful state of misery at seeing all his property go like this.  Charlie went up to him after he had spoken to Marguerite, and said he would try and save the wheel for future murders.  Seeing Charlie, whom he fully thought to be dead, and hearing these words, the old man shrank back with horror.  He fell on his knees and begged Charlie to forgive him, adding that it was not he who had done it, but Jacques.  Charlie raised the old man, saying all should be forgiven and forgotten on one condition.  That condition we need hardly state was permission to marry Marguerite without further trouble.  Until Pierre had said so Charlie, had no idea that he knew any thing of his intended destruction.  It saddened him very much and made him very sorry for the old man; however, he had other things to think of, so he set all the other soldiers to hand up water from the mill stream, which was now running for some little time.  Suddenly a shout from one of the soldiers called Charlie’s