it looked like a large old church; from the roof of
this hall hung several lamps, which were burning, for it was now quite
dark. There the Governor of the castle, a respectable-looking old
officer, with a band of soldiers, met the Marquis, and received him
into his charge. He spoke civilly to the Marquis, and kindly to Henri
and his mother.

"'Do not afflict yourself, madam,' he said: 'I am the King's servant,
and must obey the King's orders; but if I find that you and the Marquis
are patient under your punishment, I shall make you as comfortable as
my duty to the King will allow.'

"To this kind speech the Marchioness only answered by breaking out like
a child, crying afresh; and the Marquis was so sullen that he would not
speak at all; but Henri, running up and kissing the hand of the old
gentleman, said:

"'Oh, sir, God will reward you for your kindness to my poor father and
mother: you must pardon them if they are not able to speak.'

"'You are a fine boy,' said the old gentleman; 'and it is a pity that
at your age you should share your parents' punishment, and be shut up
in this place.'

"'Where my father and mother are,' answered Henri, 'I shall be best
contented, sir; I do not wish to be parted from them.'

"The Governor looked pleased with Henri; and giving his orders to his
soldiers, they took up a lamp, and led the poor Marquis to the room
where he was to be shut up for the remainder of his life. They led him
through many large rooms, and up several flights of stone steps, till
they came to the door of a gallery, at which a sentinel stood; the
sentinel opened the door, and the Marquis was led along the gallery to
a second door, which was barred with iron bars. Whilst the soldiers
were unbarring this door, the Marquis groaned, and wished he had never
been born; and the poor Marchioness was obliged to lean upon Henri, or
she would have fallen to the ground. When the iron-barred door was
opened, the guard told the Marquis and his family to walk forward: 'For
this,' said they, 'is your room.' Accordingly, the Marquis and his wife
and Henri went on into the room, whilst the guard shut and barred the
door behind them. One little lamp, hanging from the top of the room,
but high above their reach (for the rooms in those old castles are in
general very lofty), was all the light they had: by this light they
could just distinguish a large grated window, a fireplace, a table,
some chairs, and two beds placed in dif