As a precaution she turned to the other windows, looking on the garden. In the shadow of the trees she saw the gleam of the silver lace on the hats of a body of gendarmes; and she heard the distant mutterings of a crowd of persons whom sentinels were holding back at the end of the streets up which curiosity had drawn them. Diard had, in truth, been seen to enter his house by persons at their windows, and on their information and that of the frightened maid-servant, who was arrested, the troops and the people had blocked the two streets which led to the house. A dozen gendarmes, returning from the theatre, had climbed the walls of the garden, and guarded all exit in that direction. "Monsieur," said Juana, "you cannot escape. The whole town is here." Diard ran from window to window with the useless activity of a captive bird striking against the panes to escape. Juana stood silent and thoughtful. "Juana, dear Juana, help me! give me, for pity's sake, some advice." "Yes," said Juana, "I will; and I will save you." "Ah! you are always my good angel." Juana left the room and returned immediately, holding out to Diard, with averted head, one of his own pistols. Diard did not take it. Juana heard the entrance of the soldiers into the courtyard, where they laid down the body of the murdered man to confront the assassin with the sight of it. She turned round and saw Diard white and livid. The man was nearly fainting, and tried to sit down. "Your children implore you," she said, putting the pistol beneath his hand. "But--my good Juana, my little Juana, do you think--Juana! is it so pressing?--I want to kiss you." The gendarmes were mounting the staircase. Juana grasped the pistol, aimed it at Diard, holding him, in spite of his cries, by the throat; then she blew his brains out and flung the weapon on the ground. At that instant the door was opened violently. The public prosecutor, followed by an examining judge, a doctor, a sheriff, and a posse of gendarmes, all the representatives, in short, of human justice, entered the room. "What do you want?" asked Juana. "Is that Monsieur Diard?" said the prosecutor, pointing to the dead body bent double on the floor.