He then went to the door at which pikes and gun-stocks were beating.
"Citizens, I am the only person in the house," said he, at an opening they had broken in one of the panels. "What do you wish?"
For answer several pikes were thrown in; he stepped back beyond their reach, calmly fronting the fierce faces.
"Tell me what you want. I am ready to do your will."
There was a short period of indecision outside. A muscular man in a carmagnole swinging a formidable axe pushed forward and the others fell back at his rough order.
"I arrest you, citizen Répentigny," said Hache, for it was he. "We mates of Bec and Caron that you quartered have had it in for you for a long time. I am a commissioner now, and they call this my domiciliary visit. If you will come, I will see, on the faith of a brigand, that you get to prison safely; if not, I will see that you don't. Do you come?"
Germain calculated the seconds he had been able to save for Mademoiselle Richeval. They were ample.
He opened the door and gave himself up.
[CHAPTER LI]
LOVE ENDURETH ALL THINGS