His wife uttered a cry of horror.  She seized his arm again with both hands—­frail, trembling hands—­that seemed suddenly nerved with all the strength of a man’s.

“Come here—­come here!  I must and will speak to you!”

She dragged him by main force a few paces back, toward an unoccupied corner of the room.  With deathly cheeks and wild eyes she raised herself on tiptoe, and put her lips to her husband’s ear.  At that instant Trudaine called to her: 

“Rose, if you speak I am lost!”

She stopped at the sound of his voice, dropped her hold on her husband’s arm, and faced her brother, shuddering.

“Rose,” he continued, “you have promised, and your promise is sacred.  If you prize your honor, if you love me, come here—­come here, and be silent.”

He held out his hand.  She ran to him; and, laying her head on his bosom, burst into a passion of tears.

Danville turned uneasily toward the police agents.  “Remove your prisoner,” he said.  “You have done your duty here.”

“Only half of it,” retorted Lomaque, eying him attentively.  “Rose Danville—­”

“My wife!” exclaimed the other.  “What about my wife?”

“Rose Danville,” continued Lomaque, impassibly, “you are included in the arrest of Louis Trudaine.”

Rose raised her head quickly from her brother’s breast.  His firmness had deserted him—­he was trembling.  She heard him whispering to himself, “Rose, too!  Oh, my God!  I was not prepared for that.”  She heard these words, and dashed the tears from her eyes, and kissed him, saying: 

“I am glad of it, Louis.  We risked all together—­we shall now suffer together.  I am glad of it!”

Danville looked incredulously at Lomaque, after the first shock of astonishment was over.

“Impossible!” he exclaimed.  “I never denounced my wife.  There is some mistake; you have exceeded your orders.”

“Silence!” retorted Lomaque, imperiously.  “Silence, citizen, and respect to a decree of the Republic!”

“You blackguard! show me the arrest-order!” said Danville.  “Who has dared to denounce my wife?”

“You have!” said Lomaque, turning on him with a grin of contempt.  “You—­and ‘blackguard’ back in your teeth!  You, in denouncing her brother!  Aha! we work hard in our office; we don’t waste time in calling names—­we make discoveries.  If Trudaine is guilty, your wife is implicated in his guilt.  We know it; and we arrest her.”

“I resist the arrest,” cried Danville.  “I am the authority here.  Who opposes me?”

The impassible chief agent made no answer.  Some new noise in the street struck his quick ear.  He ran to the window and looked out eagerly.

“Who opposes me?” reiterated Danville.

“Hark!” exclaimed Lomaque, raising his hand.  “Silence, and listen!”

The heavy, dull tramp of men marching together became audible as he spoke.  Voices humming low and in unison the Marseillaise hymn, joined solemnly with the heavy, regular footfalls.  Soon the flare of torch-light began to glimmer redder and redder under the dim, starlight sky.