She crept softly up the stone steps.

She heard a door open very quietly.

She hurried now, and came to the landing.

She saw the door of Charley's room open--all the village knew what room he slept in--and the moonlight was streaming in at the window.
She saw the sleeping man on the bed, and the tailor standing over him.
Charley was lying with one arm thrown above his head; the other lay over the side of the bed.
As she rushed forward, divining old Louis' purpose, the fiery cross descended, and a voice cried: "'Show me a sign from Heaven, tailor-man!'" This voice was drowned by that of another, which, gasping with agony out of a deep sleep, as the body sprang upright, cried: "God-oh God!" Rosalie's hand grasped old Louis' arm too late.

The tailor sprang back with a horrible laugh, striking her aside, and rushed out to the landing.
"Oh, Monsieur, Monsieur!" cried Rosalie, and, snatching a scarf from her bosom, thrust it in upon the excoriated breast, as Charley, hardly realising what had happened, choked back moans of pain.
"What did he do ?" he gasped.
"The iron cross from the church door!" she answered.