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all men had accused him I would have defended him； if the universe rejected him my soul should have been his refuge。 In the old days life was filled with human beings coming and going for whom I did not care； it was sad and dull； but not horrible； but now； now； what is life without him？ He will live on； and I not near him！ I shall not see him； speak to him； feel him； hold him； press him；ha！ I would rather strangle him myself in his sleep！〃
Francine； horrified； looked at her in silence。
〃Kill the man you love？〃 she said； in a soft voice。
〃Yes； yes； if he ceases to love me。〃
But after those ruthless words she hid her face in her hands； and sat down silently。
The next day a man presented himself without being announced。 His face was stern。 It was Hulot； followed by Corentin。 Mademoiselle de Verneuil looked at the commandant and trembled。
〃You have come；〃 she said； 〃to ask me to account for your friends。 They are dead。〃
〃I know it；〃 he replied； 〃and not in the service of the Republic。〃
〃For me； and by me；〃 she said。 〃You preach the nation to me。 Can the nation bring to life those who die for her？ Can she even avenge them？ But II will avenge them！〃 she cried。 The awful images of the catastrophe filled her imagination suddenly； and the graceful creature who held modesty to be the first of women's wiles forgot herself in a moment of madness； and marched towards the amazed commandant brusquely。
〃In exchange for a few murdered soldiers；〃 she said； 〃I will bring to the block a head that is worth a million heads of other men。 It is not a woman's business to wage war； but you； old as you are； shall learn good stratagems from me。 I'll deliver a whole family to your bayonets him； his ancestors； his past； his future。 I will be as false and treacherous to him as I was good and true。 Yes； commandant； I will bring that little noble to my arms； and he shall leave them to go to death。 I have no other rival。 The wretch himself pronounced his doom； /a day without a morrow/。 Your Republic and I shall be avenged。 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 happ