mother and sister, and to assure them
that they need not be alarmed.

"I have no fears," said Sophie, on one of these occasions, when I
accompanied him. "With the help of this brave Englishman and his
follower, I am sure that you will drive back the insurgents."

"_Ma foi_! I hope so," said La Touche to me, as we left the room. "But
they are the same sort of ruffians as those who destroyed the Bastile."

The news of that event had a short time before reached us.

"Now let us return to the watch-tower, and try to make out what the
_canaille_ are about."

The mob, as far as we could observe, were not as yet approaching. They
were probably dancing and singing round the burning chateau, the flames
from which were ascending in all directions, its towers forming four
pyramids of fire.

"They are waiting to see the result of their handiwork," said La Touche.
"When the roof has fallen in and the towers come to the ground, they
will be satisfied, and will probably make their way in this direction.
Ah! what are those lights there?" he suddenly exclaimed.

I looked towards the spot he pointed at, when I saw advancing along the
road a number of men bearing torches.

"They are coming, as I expected, fully believing that they will destroy
this chateau as they have the Chateau l'Estrange," said La Touche.
"Now, my friend, it is possible that they may succeed, notwithstanding
all our preparations. I will therefore have a carriage prepared, and
the horses put to, with two others for riding. I know, should I be
unable to go, that you will protect my mother and sister, and endeavour
to conduct them to a place of safety, either to the coast or to the
house of a friend whom they will name to you."

"You may trust me indeed, although I hope for your sake that there will
be no necessity for such a proceeding," I answered, my heart beating
strangely at the thought of having Sophie and her mother committed to my
charge. I resolved, of course, to protect them to the last, and I hoped
that in my character as a foreigner I might be able to do this more
effectually than La Touche himself. Madame should pass as my mother,
and Sophie for my sister, and I hoped that we might thus pass through
the fiercest mob, whose rage, being turned against the aristocrats,
would not interfere with an Englishman, whom they would imagine was
merely travelling through the country for the sake of seeing it, as many
had been doing for some time past.