Rosalie sprang to her feet. "He will not tell the whole truth,
Messieurs, but I will. With that little cross Louis Trudel would have
killed Monsieur, had it not been for me."

A gasp of excitement went out from those who stood by.

"But for you, Rosalie?" asked the Cure.

"But for me. I saw Louis Trudel raise an iron against Monsieur that day
in the shop. It made me nervous--I thought he was mad. So I watched.
That night I saw a light in the tailor-shop late. I thought it strange.
I went over and peeped through the cracks of the shutters. I saw old
Louis at the fire with the little cross, red-hot. I knew he meant
trouble. I ran into the house. Old Margot was beside herself with fear
--she had seen also. I ran through the hall and saw old Louis upstairs
with the burning cross. I followed. He went into Monsieur's room. When
I got to the door"--she paused, trembling, for she saw Charley's
reproving eyes upon her--"I saw him with the cross--with the cross raised
over Monsieur."

"He meant to threaten me," interposed Charley quickly.

"We will have the truth!" said the Seigneur, in a husky voice.

"The cross came down on Monsieur's bare breast." The grocer laughed
vindictively.

"Silence!" growled the Seigneur.

"Silence!" said Filion Lacasse, and dropped his hand on the grocer's