fight, wounded de Vipont, and disarmed the
Comte de Marplat, that at night he and five of his followers, though
attacked by some thirty ruffians from the faubourgs under Beaufort
himself, killed twelve of them outright, and that he himself seriously
wounded the duke. Well, there is nothing for us but to ride back to the
village we last passed through and wait there until tomorrow."

So saying, he mounted his horse and galloped off with his party.

"Who could have thought when we parted last, Colonel Campbell, that we
should meet again under such greatly changed circumstances!" Madame de
Blenfoix exclaimed as Hector met the party as they alighted before the
principal inn of Nantes.

"It is a change, indeed," he replied; "so great that I myself can hardly
realize it, and am not sure whether I am sorry or the reverse at what
has taken place."

"I am very glad to hear you say so, as I feared that it would be a
terrible blow to you to give up the army."

"I have hardly had time to think of it," he said, "I have had so much
else to occupy my thoughts. Now, I pray you, enter the inn for a few
minutes; I have warned them to get a meal ready to be served at the
shortest notice, for I am anxious that no time shall be lost; everything
is ready for our embarkation."

"Had we not best go aboard at once?" she said. "Your enemies might
arrive at any moment by what Paolo tells us."

"The matter is not so pressing as I thought, madam, for the cardinal
sent orders to the governor that he is not to open the gates to any
armed party of friends of Beaufort or Vendome until I am fairly at sea."

He went with the ladies to a private room he had secured.

"I must leave you for a few minutes," he said, "while I have a talk with
MacIntosh and the others."

"Well, old friend," he said as he went out to where the little party
of Scotchmen were standing in a group, "what are your plans and wishes?
'Tis a pity now that I persuaded you to leave Paris and go down to
la Villar, but I did it for the best. I thought of you much as I rode
hither."

"Do not trouble about me, colonel, I am by no means sorry at the change.
I was getting tired of the cabaret, and should soon have given it up
even had you not come to offer me the wardenship of your chateau. I have
chatted matters over with my two friends, and we have not yet agreed
whether to return to Scotland or to remain in France. At any rate we
shall go to Paris first; my money is there all