LOUIS DUVAL.

 No one came near, and Louis sat by the window,
 watching the dull red lights which glimmered in the
 streets below, and cast a gloomy haze on the atmo-
 sphere around. Faint and sick with hunger, the poor
 boy fancied every slight noise he heard must be his
 father's returning footsteps; but still his father did
 not come. Then his thoughts turned to what his
 grandmother had been telling him, and his young
 heart swelled with bitter feelings.
 An hour passed away-two hours; and Louis was
still watching. It became dark, and the boy was un-
easy, although he scarcely knew why, for he was used
to sitting in the dark with his grandmother, and was
used also to her sleeping in her chair. But now she
was so quiet, and slept so long, he wished she would
wake.
 All at once a thought came into his head; and
quietly taking up his sabots, he crept softly out of the
room, and the next minute he was descending the
stairs.