et speech with her;
that done, I could trust myself and my new-found weapon for the rest.
But that was absolutely necessary, and, seeing that there might be some
difficulty about it, I determined to descend as if my mind were made
up to go; then, on pretence of saddling my horse, I would slip away on
foot, and lie in wait near the Chateau until I saw her come out. Or if
I could not effect my purpose in that way--either by reason of the
landlord's vigilance, or for any other cause--my course was still easy.
I would ride away, and when I had proceeded a mile or so, tie up my
horse in the forest and return to the wooden bridge. Thence I could
watch the garden and front of the Chateau until time and chance gave me
the opportunity I sought.

So I saw my way quite clearly; and when the fellow below called me,
reminding me rudely that I must be going, and that it was six o'clock,
I was ready with my answer. I shouted sulkily that I was coming, and,
after a decent delay, I took up my saddle and bags and went down.

Viewed by the light of a cold morning, the inn-room looked more smoky,
more grimy, more wretched than when I had last seen it. The goodwife was
not visible. The fire was not lighted. No provision, not so much as a
stirrup-cup or bowl of porridge cheered the heart.

I looked round, sniffing the stale smell of last night's lamp, and
grunted.

'Are you going to send me out fasting?' I said, affecting a worse humour
than I felt.

The landlord was standing by the window, stooping over a great pair of
frayed and furrowed thigh-boots which he was labouring to soften with
copious grease.

'Mademoiselle ordered no breakfast,' he answered, with a malicious grin.

'Well it does not much matter,' I replied grandly. 'I shall be at Auch
by noon.'

'That is as may be,' he answered with another grin.

I did not understand him, but I had something else to think about, and I
opened the door and stepped out, intending to go to the stable. Then in
a second I comprehended. The cold air laden with woodland moisture
met me and went to my bones; but it was not that which made me shiver.
Outside the door, in the road, sitting on horseback in silence, were
two men. One was Clon. The other, who had a spare horse by the
rein--my horse--was a man I had seen at the inn, a rough, shock-headed,
hard-bitten fellow. Both were armed, and Clon was booted. His mate rode
barefoot, with a rusty spur strapped to one heel.

The moment I saw the