swinging in the sergeant's hand, and
throwing its smoky light now on the stone seat, now on the rough
wall above it, showed me something else. On the seat, doubtless where
Mademoiselle's hand had lain as she sat in the dark, listening and
watching and shivering, stood a pitcher of food. Beside her, in that
place, it was damning evidence, and I trembled least the Lieutenant's
eye should fall upon it, lest the sergeant should see it; and then, in a
moment, I forgot all about it. The Lieutenant was speaking and his voice
was doom. My throat grew dry as I listened; my tongue stuck to my mouth
I tried to look at Mademoiselle, but I could not.

'It is true that the Captain is gone,' he said stiffly, 'but others
are alive, and about one of them a word with you, by your leave,
Mademoiselle. I have listened to a good deal of talk from this fine
gentleman friend of yours. He has spent the last twenty-four hours
saying "You shall!" and "You shall not!" He came from you and took a
very high tone because we laid a little whip-lash about that dumb devil
of yours. He called us brutes and beasts, and but for him I am not sure
that my friend would not now be alive. But when he said a few minutes
ago that he was glad--glad of it, d--him!--then I fixed it in my mind
that I would be even with him. And I am going to be!'

'What do you mean?' Mademoiselle asked, wearily interrupting him. 'If
you think that you can prejudice me against this gentleman--'

'That is precisely what I am going to do! And a little more than that!'
he answered.

'You will be only wasting your breath!' she retorted.

'Wait! Wait, Mademoiselle---until you have heard,' he said. 'For I swear
to you that if ever a black-hearted scoundrel, a dastardly sneaking spy
trod the earth, it is this fellow! And I am going to expose him. Your
own eyes and your own ears shall persuade you. I am not particular, but
I would not eat, I would not drink, I would not sit down with him! I
would rather be beholden to the meanest trooper in my squadron than to
him! Ay, I would, so help me Heaven!'

And the Lieutenant, turning squarely on his heel, spat on the ground.

CHAPTER XI. THE ARREST

It had come, and I saw no way of escape. The sergeant was between us
and I could not strike him. And I found no words. A score of times I
had thought with shrinking how I should reveal my secret to
Mademoiselle--what I should say, and how she would take it; but in my
mind it had been always