ed his horse in front of the place. "More lik

f windows with the exception of some arrow-slits, and at either end of it-one looking south, the other north-two tourelles, penetrated also with oillets at regular distances from each other; and by each tourelle, on its outer side, a small, high door of antique, Fran?ois Premier style, or even olde

he backed his horse into the middle of the road which bulged out semicircularly in front of the long building, and observed it carefully. "A grim, hard place," he said to himself, regarding it under the rays of the young moon that was now stronger and clearer than when it had shed its feeble rays over the hamlet of Aignay-le-Duc, "and my enemy's stronghold, or I am mistaken. A place in which a man when once entrapped might fi

way and saw the door open, doubtless after he had been regarded from the grille high up in it. Then a man appeared in the open space and, shading his eyes with his hands, looked out at the cavalier sitting there o

nsieur desire? He summons

her, if she be in her house, that Monsieur St. Georges, of the Chevaux-Légers of Nivernois, has c

good as to wait until he returned? And monsieur answering that he would do so, the other withdrew, leaving the door open,

e man came b

ieur be good enough to enter? Monsieur doubtless stops the night-a room shall be at his service. Madam

"Make my compliments to madame and say that I will join her. Yet, my friend, excuse me to her, too, for t

spectfully. "As will Mademoiselle Aurélie.-Gaston,

ittered down himself, but could hardly insist on doing so; therefore-though he feared he was in the house of a deadly enemy!-he was forced to let th

s animals better than his own kind. Even though you were

le, led the horse away. Then to himself he said, "I only hope that, s

n outer court led into a second or inner one, which seemed to constitute a hall, since it was roofed and more or less furnished. On the walls hung arms of all kinds, both ancient and of the period of the day, and ranging from battle-axes, maces and two-ha

broad staircase leading to the first floor; "it was from this choice armoury that

of Phélypeaux at Dijon-and informed him that he would return later, in a quarter of an hour, to escort him to the presence of madame la marquise, w

f fresh water, some brushes, and a mirror-and with these he was able to attend to his hands, face, and hair, to remove some of the stains of travel from his clothes and long brown boots, and to make himself sufficiently presentable. At first, because he was a gentleman and could not suppose that treachery might be intended him, at least before ladies,

d, scenes from the ancient romancists, and lit by a window let into the upper part of the wall, so high up that no one could see out of it except by standing on the table. Of doors he could perceive no other but the one by which he had entered; nor on the floor, which was of polished wood or parquet, was there any sign that entrance could be made thereby-su

for his use-St. Georges sat down upon the chair by the bed and waited for the servitor to come and escort him to his

in my remote life, far away from Paris and the world, she loved De Vannes once-was his affianced wife. What may she not therefore have known of his past? May know that I stand between this son of her husband and his desire, his succession; may stand, indeed, between her a

door told him that the old man had come back for hi

t hall; then he knocked at a door on the left, and, on being bidde

which could be seen the brackets, or corbels, supporting it. Near this was the great marble chimney-piece, the jambs richly carved with figures, the mantel six feet from the floor

t he could see nothing beyond the fact that they were two female forms which rose at his ent

esty. He is very welcome.-Monsieur, let me presen

what weather-worn riding dress, there flashed through his mind the thought: "Can this be the she-wolf who sends her whelp forth to midnight murder? Can she have had a hand in that foul att

elling plainly of the beauty that had been. And as he gazed at the daughter standing by her side-a girl but just entering womanhood, a girl whose hazel eyes look

n sitting, and regarded him with interest; "has come a long, perhaps perilous, voyage from Pontarlier? The

is mind the thought that the words "perilous voyage" showed that she knew, d

at eventful. Yet, as I have said, I ride in the kin

lypeaux!-and take from him one word to the king, or to Louvois. Also that you

ecrecy; you may frankly tell her"-he answered: "It is so, madame. The bishop has sen

nown, subtle something pertaining to his mind or face which she was endeavouring to decip

ot as yet tell me the wo

as no need of secrecy. Therefore he answered, "The

gerly, half wistfully, while now he noticed that Mademoiselle

I thought: the

s it, m

is served. Monsieur St. Georges, I pray you give me your arm"; and she placed her hand on it, and, her daughter fol

word to send as Phélypeaux. The one that