ainting them with the main of the affair, or mentioning the baron
d' Eyrac, told them in what manner they were to disguise themselves,
and ordered they should attend him at the Fauxbourg, a little after
ten o'clock the same night.

Rejoiced at an opportunity of obliging their officer, especially as
they doubted not of being well gratified, each gave a thousand oaths
instead of the one required of him, to be both punctual and faithful
in the discharge of the trust reposed in him.

In fine, all was conducted with a care and caution becoming of the
gratitude and esteem Natura had for the baron, and as if he had
himself approved of this undertaking, which, as I before observed, he
could not do in his heart.

The two gentlemen, muffled up in their cloaks and vizarded, repaired
to the Fauxbourg, at the appointed time, where they found the soldiers
on the post allotted for them by their officer; on which they all rode
off together, and arrived before the walls of the monastery some few
minutes before twelve, at which hour precisely the gate was opened,
and a woman appeared at it.--To prevent the loss of time, it had been
concluded, that the baron should not dismount, but Natura perform the
office of an equerry, in placing her behind him: just as he had
alighted, and taken her in his arms, in order to perform that office,
a great noise was heard; and in an instant, our adventurers found
themselves surrounded by more than a dozen armed men, who rushed upon
them from the covert of a wood:--the lady shrieked, and ran back into
the convent, on Natura's letting her go, in order to draw his sword
against these antagonists, who seemed resolute, either to kill or take
him and his associates prisoners:--the fight was obstinate on both
sides, tho' the baron finding his design defeated, had not entered
into it at first, but trusted to the goodness of his horse for his
escape, if his consideration for Natura, who being on foot, must have
been immediately seized, had not prevented him.--At length, however,
having received two or three wounds, and convinced of the
impossibility of maintaining their ground against such an inequality
of numbers, self-preservation prevailed; he broke thro' those that
encompassed him, and setting spurs to his horse, had the good fortune
to avoid the mischief which he knew must inevitably befal those he
left behind.

The three troopers gallantly defended their captain for some time, nor
was he idle in making