316 THE NECROMANCER. 



I shall send back to Paradise poor little one, I shall perhaps save 

 thee from many evils, perhaps from crime. How sweet to snatch a 

 human being from the sight of such torments as mine." 



While thus holding fearful converse with himself, he ad- 

 vanced gradually towards the children, who, excited by his pre- 

 sence, played with renewed ardour. Mande was now within a few 

 paces of the children ; three or four of them ran towards him, and 

 sought to attract his attention by their innocent gambols. Once he 

 was on the point of retracing his steps ; but he could not he knew 

 his time was come ! The children gathered round him, and all ad- 

 dressed him at once j he lifted up in his arms the little creature with 

 the chesnut curls. 



" Oh ! he is only four years old ; he is the youngest of us all," ex- 

 claimed his little companions. 



" He is only four years old j he is the youngest and the most inno- 

 cent," said Mande to himself. And as he encircled him with one of 

 his arms, his dreadful mania came strongly over him ; blood was in 

 his thought he thirsted only for blood and his eyes gleamed with 

 the dreadful insanity. The little innocent was frightened at his looks. 



" Let me go," he cried, struggling to get free " let me go and 

 play ;" but Mande clutched him convulsively towards him, and 

 plunged the long knife deep in his heart! A stream of blood bubbled 

 from the wound, and the little creature gasped and fell dead with his 

 tiny white arms circling the neck of his murderer. 



The laughter of the children was quickly transformed into cries of 

 terror at the sight of blood. The neighbours ran to the spot ; but 

 Mande made not the slightest attempt to escape he had fulfilled his 

 destiny. The watch arrived and seized Mande, who a few days after- 

 wards was condemned by M. Robert d'Estourville, prevost of Paris, 

 to die upon the scaffold ! 



On the day following the trial, the condemned, carrying a lighted 

 torch, proceeded barefooted to the place of execution, before the gates 

 of Notre Dame. As he passed along to the fatal spot the imprecations 

 of the women were dreadful : maternal love assumed a savage ten- 

 derness that eloquently burst forth the mothers embraced their little 

 ones, and pressed them wildly to their bosoms as the assassin passed. 



Having at length reached the foot of the scaffold, Mande ascended 

 the steps with a stern composure : he was supported by the intimate 

 conviction that he had obeyed a law that was inevitable, and he found 

 himself standing face to face to a young executioner whom he had 

 never seen before. They stood alone above the immense crowd 

 below. 



" Come, little Jehan this is your first essay ; remember a father 

 ought not to miss the assassin of his child /" These encouraging 

 words proceeded from Master Henri Cousin, his sire, and from Master 

 Merry Capiluche, who bore the same affinity to Nicole it was her 

 child that he had slain. All was prepared. Little Jehan waved his 

 thirsty sabre round his head, and as it made its fatal descent the last 

 mortal sounds that shook the ears of the unfortunate Mande was a 

 hoarse guttural laugh, which proceeded from the old necromancer at 

 the foot of the scaffold. His prediction was fulfilled Mande died 

 upon the scaffold ! 



