ved on the invitation of the governor
to breakfast; one of these was the captain who had commanded the escort.

"Gentlemen," the commandant said, "let me introduce to you Monsieur
Campbell, a lieutenant on the staff of Viscount Turenne. He has just
returned after having successfully carried out a most dangerous and
difficult mission, namely, that of communicating with the garrison of
Turin."

The officers gave an exclamation of surprise, while Captain Simon
stepped forward and shook hands warmly with Hector.

"You did not tell me exactly what you were going to do," he said. "I
thought that it was to see some of the duchess's adherents in Turin, but
I never dreamt that you were going to attempt to communicate with the
citadel. Had I known that, I certainly should not have expected to see
you again, for from what we have heard it is next to impossible to get
through the enemy's lines."

"We will not trouble Monsieur Campbell until he has finished his
breakfast," the commandant said. "He has already told me briefly how he
managed, but I shall be as glad as you will to have the details."

Accordingly, after breakfast Hector related at much greater length the
story that he had told the governor of the manner in which the mission
had been carried out.

"Ma foi!" the colonel said, "I would rather have faced a battery than
swum those moats in such weather. Well, gentlemen, I think that you will
agree with me that Monsieur de Turenne is fortunate in having so brave
and enterprising an officer on his staff."

The officers cordially assented.

"I wonder that you did not enter the citadel and stay there till the
convoy arrived."

"In the first place, colonel, I had received no orders to do so, and the
general might require me for other service. And in the second place, had
I not returned he would not have known whether his message had reached
the garrison, and so might have hurried on his preparations more hastily
than he otherwise would have done, and might, in his fear that the
garrison would surrender, have made the attempt before he had collected
sufficient food to last them until he was in a position to raise the
siege."

"Your reasons are good ones; but certainly, with shelter and warmth
close at hand--for the sentry would speedily have passed the word along,
and as soon as it was ascertained that you were indeed a French officer,
and alone, the gates would have been opened for you--it must have
required no small