d according to
your own account, monsieur, you and your friend, the mousquetaire,
could take good care of yourselves."

"These were neither _filous_ nor _spadassins_," replied St. Georges,
"or at least the leader was not. Oh! that I may meet him again, and
when I am not encumbered with a harmless child to protect!"

"You know him, then, monsieur?"

"No. And since he carefully disguised his face as well as protected
his head, I may not even assert that I have ever seen him. But I
suspect."

"Tell me the name of him you suspect, and I may do something--may call
upon him to answer your charge."

"Nay," replied St. Georges, "that cannot be. For I must not tarry
here; I have the king's orders to ride straight for my destination,
halting no more than is necessary; and so, perforce, I must go on. But
should you hear of a man wearing an ancient burganet whose appearance
in your neighbourhood seems suspicious, and who"--remembering the
description given by the man they had gagged and left tied to the tree
at Aignay-le-Duc--"is young, with a brown beard cropped close and gray
eyes, I pray you question him as to his doings two nights ago. It may
save your roads from further brigandage, and--should you confine him
for any length of time--his life from my sword. For, I promise you, if
ever I encounter him again, and am sure of my man, he shall not escape
a second time."

"_Mon Dieu!_" replied the captain of the _marechausse_, "if he falls
into our hands I will warrant him against your sword. If we can but
bring his attack on you at Aignay-le-Duc home to him, it will be the
wheel and not the sword with which he will find his account."

"So best. Yet I doubt your catching him, and must believe and hope the
punishment he deserves shall reach him through my hand. If it is he
whom I think, he is of high position."

"Many of high position have come to the wheel when in our grip," said
the fierce old captain, a man who had followed his trade under Conde.
"_Ma foi!_ we have great powers, we of the _marechausse_, and for
brigandage on the king's highway we use those powers swiftly. Poof! If
we catch him and bring his vagabondage home to him, he will be broken
all to pieces before his position is of any avail."

So in this frame of mind St. Georges left the old man, and now, as
night drew on, he neared Troyes.

All day he had pondered on the meeting that was before him--on the
fact that he was about to encounter the woman who had