Choosing the moment when Dagobert, deceived by her lady-like demeanor, had withdrawn, she counselled the twins that it was their duty to go and see their governess, whom she stated to be in the hospital we now describe.
It was about ten o’clock in the morning. The persons who had watched during the night by the sick people, in the hospital established in the Rue du Mont-Blanc, were about to be relieved by other voluntary assistants.
“Well, gentlemen,” said one of those newly arrived, “how are we getting on? Has there been any decrease last night in the number of the sick?”
“Unfortunately, no; but the doctors think the contagion has reached its height.”
“Then there is some hope of seeing it decrease.”
“And have any of the gentlemen, whose places we come to take, been attacked by the disease?”
“We came eleven strong last night; we are only nine now.”
“That is bad. Were these two persons taken off rapidly?”
“One of the victims, a young man of twenty-five years of age, a cavalry officer on furlough, was struck as it were by lightning. In less than a quarter of an hour he was dead. Though such facts are frequent, we were speechless with horror.”
“Poor young man!”