being apprehensive of the danger that awaited them. In short, I put on a light coat of mail under my waistcoat, and walked along the street at that hour which, as my servant had informed him, was the usual time of my nightly assignations. When I was drawing near to the lady's house, Cardillac, just as I had expected, rushed up, and attacked me from behind. He clasped me in his arms with gigantic strength; but the blow which he aimed, trusting as usual that it would prove mortal, slid off from the coat of mail without doing me any injury. At that moment I disengaged myself from his hold, and having my stiletto ready in my right hand, struck it into his heart."
"And you have been silent," said de Scuderi, "and would not announce these important truths to the Chambre Ardente?" "I have been silent," answered Miossen, "and your ladyship will please to remember, that such information, if it did not bring destruction upon my own head, must, at least, have involved me in a terrible law process. Would la Regnie, who suspects every one who falls in his way, of guilt and hypocrisy, have believed me if I accused Cardillac, (who was looked upon as a perfect model of regularity and devotion,) of an attempt at murder?—Should I not rather, by this means, have turned the sword of justice against myself?" "Impossible," said de Scuderi, "your birth and rank must have preserved you from such imputations." "Oh, ho!" replied de Miossen, "your ladyship forgets, then, the Marshal de Luxembourg, who, because he had once taken it into his head to have his fortune read by le Sage, brought on himself the suspicion of wishing to poison all his acquaintances, and was therefore thrown into the Bastile. No,—by St. Dennis! I would not surrender even a single hour of my personal liberty into the power of la Regnie. I doubt not, that, if the matter were at his own disposal, he would bring all our necks to the block, tout d'un coup, without delay or discrimination."
"But whatever is the character of la Regnie," said de Scuderi, "could you have made up your mind on such prin-
