a
hundred yards away. They got their bread yesterday morning, and
will have plenty of it left for you and the horse. It can take a
drink at the fountain, in the centre.

"Ah," he exclaimed stopping suddenly, "you said nothing about the
child, and we did not think to ask. Did my sister take it away with
her, or was it left?"

"I did not hear, captain. My mother ran into the house crying, and
said:

"'The Blues have come, and have set fire to the chateau and carried
madame away prisoner. Take the horse and ride to the army, and tell
Monsieur Martin what has happened.'

"I ran into the stable and saddled it, took two loaves of bread,
one for him and one for myself, and started. I should have been
here in the middle of the day, but I lost my way in the lanes last
night, and had to stop till daylight and, even then, rode for a
long time in the wrong direction."

Leaving the lad and horse in the middle of the square, Leigh went
to the steps of the church. A great number of peasants were
sleeping there. He was not long in finding his own band. He roused
Andre and Pierre with some difficulty for, having both been up all
the previous night, they slept heavily.

"Come with me," Leigh said, as soon as they were sufficiently
roused to understand who was speaking to them. "I want to have a
talk with you.

"I have some bad news," he went on, as they passed beyond the
sleepers; "the Blues have been at the chateau. They have burned it
down, and have carried off Madame Martin."

Exclamations of rage broke from both the lads. Patsey had, during
the months she had spent on the estate, made herself extremely
popular among the peasantry; whose cottages she constantly visited,
and who always found her ready to listen to their tales of trouble,
and to supply dainty food for the sick. The thought, too, that the
chateau had been burned down was also a blow, for all the tenantry
considered that they had a personal interest in the affairs of
their seigneur.

"How was it that there was no defence?" Andre asked. "I know that
most of the men were away, but surely enough might have been
gathered to keep the Blues back, until madame escaped to the
woods."

"It seems they rode by night, and arrived there soon after day
broke. They had evidently come on purpose to seize your lord for,
as soon as they found that he was not there, they went away at
once, only stopping to set fire to the chateau. They were evidently
in a hurry to be off.