ay five hundred thousand devils from hell
take away the love which may cost two brave gentlemen their heads! By
Heaven! as King Charles says, we are conspiring, my dear fellow; and
when plans fail one must run. Mount! mount, La Mole!"

"Mount yourself, my dear fellow, I will not prevent you. I even urge you
to do so. Your life is more precious than mine. Defend it, therefore."

"You must say to me: 'Coconnas, let us be hanged together,' and not
'Coconnas, save yourself.'"

"Bah! my friend," replied La Mole, "the rope is made for clowns, not for
gentlemen like ourselves."

"I am beginning to think," said Coconnas, "that the precaution I took is
not bad."

"What precaution?"

"To have made friends with the hangman."

"You are sinister, my dear Coconnas."

"Well, what are we going to do?" cried the latter, impatiently.

"Set out and find the queen."

"Where?"

"I do not know--seek the king."

"Where?"

"I have not the least idea; but we must find him, and we two by
ourselves can do what fifty others neither could nor would dare to do."

"You appeal to my pride, Hyacinthe; that is a bad sign."

"Well! come; to horse and away!"

"A good suggestion!"

La Mole turned to seize the pommel of his saddle, but just as he put his
foot in the stirrup an imperious voice was heard:

"Halt there! surrender!"

At the same moment the figure of a man appeared behind an oak, then
another, then thirty. They were the light-horse, who, dismounted, had
glided on all fours in and out among the bushes, searching the forest.

"What did I tell you?" murmured Coconnas, in a low tone.

A dull groan was La Mole's only answer.

The light-horse were still thirty paces away from the two friends.

"Well!" continued the Piedmontese, in a loud tone, to the lieutenant of
the dragoons. "What is it, gentlemen?"

The lieutenant ordered his men to aim.

Coconnas continued under breath:

"Mount, La Mole, there is still time. Spring into your saddle as I have
seen you do hundreds of times, and let us be off."

Then turning to the light-horse:

"The devil, gentlemen, do not fire; you would kill friends."

Then to La Mole:

"Between the trees they cannot aim well; they will fire and miss us."

"Impossible," said La Mole, "we cannot take Marguerite's horse with us
or the two mules. They would compromise us, whereas by my replies I can
avert all suspicion. Go, my friend, go!"

"Gentlemen," said Coconnas, drawing his sword and