ances. Where
do you come from?"

"From Poitiers, sir. My parents live on a little farm called La
Machoir, two miles north of the city."

"Then, Annette, the best thing for you to do is to leave your
present employment, and to journey down home. It will be easy to
send from La Rochelle to Poitiers, and unless the place is
besieged, as it is likely to be before long, you will soon hear
from us. Probably the messenger will have visited the farm before
you reach it."

"I will do that, sir," the girl said gratefully. "I never liked
this life, and since that terrible night I have scarcely had any
sleep. I seem to hear noises and cries, just as they say the king
does, and shall be indeed glad to be away.

"But I cannot come out with the count, this evening. We only get
out once in five days, and it was only as a special favour I have
been let out, now. I will come with him to the door, talking with
him as if he were a lackey of my acquaintance."

At the hour agreed upon Philip and Pierre, stationed a few yards
from the door, saw a man and woman appear. The girl made some
laughing remark, and then went back into the palace. The man came
out. He made two quick steps and then stumbled, and Philip ran
forward, and grasped him firmly under the arm.

"You were just in time, Philip," Francois said, with a feeble
laugh, "another step and I should have been down. I am weaker than
I thought I was, and the fresh air is well-nigh too much for me.

"I have had a close shave of it, Philip; and have been nearer
death, in that attic up there, than I ever was on a field of
battle. What a good little woman that was! I owe my life to her.

"It is good of you coming here to find me, old fellow. You are
always getting me out of scrapes. You remember that affair at
Toulouse.

"Thank you, Pierre, but mind, that arm you have got hold of is the
weak one.

"Now, how far have we got to go, Philip? For I warn you, I am
nearly at the end of my strength."

"We will get into a quiet street first, Francois, and there you
shall have a drink, from a flask of excellent wine I have here.
Then we will help you along. You can lean as heavily as you like
upon us. You are no great weight, now; and anyone who notices us
helping you will suppose that we are conveying a drunken comrade to
his home."

But in spite of all the assistance they could give him, Francois
was terribly exhausted when he reached the lodging. Here Philip and
Pierre bandaged his