to form an escort for one of Viscount Turenne's officers, and tell
him that when he has the troop ready to start he is to come to me for
detailed orders. I have said an hour, Monsieur Campbell," he went on,
after the orderly had left the room, "because, in the first place, it
is not yet dark, and in the second, it will take some twenty minutes to
prepare a meal. You will have a long night's work before you, and I dare
say you have had nothing since you halted for breakfast."

"Thank you, colonel, I had not thought of it; but I should certainly
have remembered it before tomorrow morning. We halted for breakfast at
eleven, and if it had not been for your kind offer we should have had
no chance of getting anything till we entered Turin, and even there the
less we go into any cabarets the better."

"That is true. I have sent a message to the cook that twenty minutes is
the utmost we can give for the preparation of a meal."

CHAPTER IV: SUCCESS

Although the governor apologized to Hector for the poorness of the
repast and the haste with which it had been prepared, it was really
excellent, consisting of soup, some fish fresh from the river, a cutlet,
and an omelette, with a bottle of good wine of Asti. Paolo's wants had
been attended to in the kitchen. It was six o'clock when they started.
The officer in command had already received his instructions, and the
governor accompanied Hector to the door, where two horses were standing
saddled.

"They are not your own," he said, "but are two of mine. I thought that
yours had made a sufficiently long journey today."

Thanking him for his kindness, Hector mounted, and took his place by
the side of Captain Simon, while Paolo fell in with the orderlies riding
close behind.

"I presume, monsieur, that you are going to obtain some information for
Viscount Turenne. I don't want to ask any questions as to the nature of
your mission, but as I have orders to bring back with the horses your
cloaks and hats, I presume that in the first place you are going on
foot, and in the second, you are going in disguise."

"Your judgment is correct, captain. The viscount wishes to obtain
certain information, and I am going to fetch it for him, if I can."

"I hope that you will be successful, sir. It is a good night for
travelling, the stars are bright and the moon down, so that you will
have light enough to keep the road, and time enough to step aside should
you meet any party who might b