Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/298

 ognized the honest Baptiste, who looked deadly pale, and was in great agitation.

"For the love of all the saints," he began, "tell me, Mam'selle Martiniere, what has happened?—Oh, the terror that I have suffered!—I know not rightly what could be the reason, but my own apprehension absolutely drove me away from the wedding to-night; so I set out earlier than any one else, on the road homeward, and at length arrived in our street. Now, thinks I to myself, Martiniere is very easily awoke; she will hear me for certain, and let me in if I knock softly and cautiously at the house door. But, ere I had come so far, behold there appears against me the whole posse of the watch, cavalry forsooth, and infantry, armed up to the teeth. They directly take me prisoner, and, notwithstanding all my expostulations, will not let me go; but luckily, Desgrais is among them, who knows me very well. As they were holding their lanterns up to my nose, he says, 'How, now, Baptiste, whither are you wandering now in the dark? You should rather stay at home, like a careful man, and keep watch over the house. In truth, it is by no means convenient for you, or any one else to be on the streets to-night. We are resolved to let no individual pass whom we do not know, and think ourselves sure of one prisoner at least, before daybreak.' You can easily imagine, Martiniere, how much I was alarmed by these words, as I was thus assured that some new and atrocious crimes must have been discovered. But now, as I was going to tell you, I had come almost to the threshold of our own house, and, there a man, disguised in a long grey mantle, rushes out with a drawn dagger in his hand; I could mark him well, for he passed and repassed me. On my entrance, I find the house door left open, the key still in the lock;—tell me, what is the meaning of all this?"

Martiniere being now somewhat tranquillized, described to him all that had happened. She and Baptiste went together to reconnoitre in the corridor, where they only found the candlestick on the floor, as it had been thrown down by the