asked whether the troupe had any pressing engagements that would prevent
their turning aside a little from the usual route to visit the Chateau
de Bruyeres and give one of their best plays there--it would be an easy
matter to rig up a theatre for them in the great hall or the orangery.

The tyrant hastened to reply that nothing could be easier, and that the
troupe, one of the best that had ever travelled through the provinces,
was entirely at his lordship's disposition--"from the king to the
soubrette"--he added, with a broad grin.

"That is capital," said the marquis, "and as to money matters, you can
arrange them to suit yourself. I should not think of bargaining with the
votaries of Thalia--a muse so highly favoured by Apollo, and as eagerly
sought after, and enthusiastically applauded, at the court of his most
gracious majesty as in town and country everywhere."

After arranging the necessary preliminaries, the marquis, who had
meantime surreptitiously squeezed the soubrette's hand under the table,
rose, called his dogs together, put on his hat, waved his hand to the
company in token of adieu, and took his departure amid much barking and
commotion--going directly home, in order to set on foot his preparations
to receive the comedians on the morrow at his chateau.

As it was growing late, and they were to make an early start the next
morning, our tired travellers lost no time in going to rest; the women
in a sort of loft, where they had to make themselves as comfortable as
they could with the bundles of straw that were to serve them for beds,
whilst the men slept on the benches in the room where they had supped.

CHAPTER IV. AN ADVENTURE WITH BRIGANDS

Let us return now to the little girl we left feigning to sleep soundly
upon a settle in the kitchen. There was certainly something suspicious
about the fierce way in which she eyed Isabelle's pearl necklace, and
her little bit of clever acting afterwards. As soon as the door had
closed upon the comedians she slowly opened her large, dark eyes, looked
sharply round the great, dim kitchen, and when she found that nobody was
watching her, slipped quietly down from the bench, threw back her hair
with a quick movement of the head peculiar to her, crept softly to the
door, which she cautiously unlatched, and escaped into the open air
without making any more sound than a shadow, then walked slowly and
listlessly away until she had turned a corner and was out of sight