They listened. Footsteps again; but again they passed by. The mamma leaned her head upon her husband’s shoulder to hide her paleness.

“They arrived this morning.”

The child’s eyes opened wide.

“Why, papa! is it a true story?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Oh, how good! Oh, it’s ever so much better! Go on, papa. Why, mamma!—dear mamma, are you crying?”

“Never mind me, dear—I was thinking of the—of the—the poor families.”

“But don’t cry, mamma: it’ll all come out right—you’ll see; stories always do. Go on, papa, to where they lived happy ever after; then she won’t cry any more. You’ll see, mamma. Go on, papa.”

“First, they took them to the Tower before they let them go home.”

“Oh, I know the Tower! We can see it from here. Go on, papa.”

“I am going on as well as I can, in the circumstances. In the Tower the military court tried them for an hour, and found them guilty, and condemned them to be shot.”

“Killed, papa?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, how naughty! Dear mamma, you are crying again. Don’t, mamma; it’ll soon come to the good place—you’ll see. Hurry, papa, for mamma’s sake; you don’t go fast enough.”

“I know I don’t, but I suppose it is because I stop so much to reflect.”

“But you mustn’t do it, papa; you must go right on.”

“Very well, then. The three Colonels—”

“Do you know them, papa?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Oh, I wish I did! I love Colonels. Would they let me kiss them, do you think?” The Colonel’s voice was a little unsteady when he answered—

“One of them would, my darling! There—kiss me for him.”

“There, papa—and these two are for the others. I think they would let me kiss them, papa; for I would say, ‘My papa is a Colonel, too, and brave, and he would do what you did; so it can’t be wrong, no matter what those people say, and you needn’t be the least bit ashamed;’ then they would let me,—wouldn’t they, papa?”

“God knows they would, child!”

“Mamma!—oh, mamma, you mustn’t. He’s soon coming to the happy place; go on, papa.”