She rocked herself, and moaned out, “Oh, what’s this? oh, what’s this?”

A cold perspiration came over her whole frame.

“What could this mean?  What on earth had happened?”

She took up the candle, for it was lying burning and guttering on the stairs; scraped up the grease with the snuffers, and by force of habit tried to polish it clean with a bit of paper that shook between her fingers; she did not know what she was doing.  When she recovered her wits, she took the child out of the cradle, and wrapped it carefully in her shawl; then went slowly down the stairs; and holding him close to her bosom, with a furtive eye, and brain confused, and a heart like lead, stole away to the tenantless cottage, where Madame Jouvenel awaited her.

Meantime, Rose, with quaking heart, had encountered the baroness.  She found her pale and agitated, and her first question was, “What is the matter? what have you been all doing over my head?”

“Darling mother,” replied Rose, evasively, “something has happened that will rejoice your heart.  Somebody has come home.”

“My son? eh, no! impossible!  We cannot be so happy.”

“He will be with you directly.”

The old lady now trembled with joyful agitation.

“In five minutes I will bring him to you.  Shall you be dressed?  I will ring for the girl to help you.”

“But, Rose, the scream, and that terrible fall.  Ah! where is Josephine?”

“Can’t you guess, mamma?  Oh, the fall was only the screen; they stumbled over it in the dark.”

“They! who?”

“Colonel Raynal, and—­and Edouard.  I will tell you, mamma, but don’t be angry, or even mention it; they wanted to surprise us.  They saw a light burning, and they crept on tiptoe up to the tapestried room, where Josephine and I were, and they did give us a great fright.”

“What madness!” cried the baroness, angrily; “and in Josephine’s weak state!  Such a surprise might have driven her into a fit.”

“Yes, it was foolish, but let it pass, mamma.  Don’t speak of it, for he is so sorry about it.”

Then Rose slipped out, ordered a fire in the salon, and not in the tapestried room, and the next minute was at her sister’s door.  There she found Raynal knocking, and asking Josephine how she was.

“Pray leave her to me a moment,” said she.  “I will bring her down to you.  Mamma is waiting for you in the salon.”

Raynal went down.  Rose unlocked the bedroom-door, went in, and, to her horror, found Josephine lying on the floor.  She dashed water in her face, and applied every remedy; and at last she came back to life, and its terrors.

“Save me, Rose! save me—­he is coming to kill me—­I heard him at the door,” and she clung trembling piteously to Rose.

Then Rose, seeing her terror, was almost glad at the suicidal falsehood she had told.  She comforted and encouraged Josephine and—­deceived her.  (This was the climax.)