At the first yelp of her faithful guardian, Isaure started; she thought that someone was prowling about the house; she listened, and then called her dog:
"What is it, Vaillant? What has frightened you?"
"It is I," replied the vagabond, abruptly entering the girl’s room. Isaure uttered a cry of alarm at sight of that man, whose face and neck were covered with blood, and who glared at her with threatening eyes.
"Come! You must go with me, you must leave this house at once," said the stranger, approaching the pale and trembling Isaure with a savage expression. "Take some of your clothes, make a bundle of them, they will be useful to me, and give me all the money you have here; you must have plenty and we shall need it. Come! Do you hear me?"
Isaure had heard, but she could not believe her ears; she fell on her knees and raised her hands imploringly to the man who stood before her, crying:
"Monsieur, what are you going to do with me?"
"As I have told you, I am going to take you away, that is all."
"Take me away! Where are you going to take me?"
"Where I please! Ten thousand thunders! that doesn’t concern you."
"Oh! monsieur, see, my money is there in that drawer; it is all I have. Take the money, take my clothes; take what you will—but I implore you, do not take me away!"