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Her husband smoked at his door, looking after her with

admiration. "A great woman," said he, "a strong woman, a grand

woman, a frightfully grand woman!"

Darkness closed around, and then came the ringing of church bells

and the distant beating of the military drums in the Palace

Courtyard, as the women sat knitting, knitting. Darkness

encompassed them. Another darkness was closing in as surely, when

the church bells, then ringing pleasantly in many an airy steeple

over France, should be melted into thundering cannon; when the

military drums should be beating to drown a wretched voice, that

night all potent as the voice of Power and Plenty, Freedom and

Life. So much was closing in about the women who sat knitting,

knitting, that they their very selves were closing in around a

structure yet unbuilt, where they were to sit knitting, knitting,

counting dropping heads.

CHAPTER XVII. One Night