he turned to me and
said,--

"I received about an hour ago an intimation that a party of French
soldiers are on their way here, for the purpose of arresting me, on
suspicion of conspiring with the insurgents against the French
government, and I was also informed that authority had been given to the
officer in command to take me by force, should I refuse to surrender
myself and accompany them quietly. I at once set out to return here,
galloping all the way, and on reaching the cross roads about six miles
from here, I saw approaching along the Ajaccio road a detachment of
infantry, which I have not the least doubt is the party referred to. I
have quite made up my mind not to surrender; it would be simply throwing
away my life to do so with the existing state of feeling of the French
towards us Corsicans. I should doubtless be subjected to the ceremony
of a trial, but it would be quite a mock affair; my doom is probably
already fixed. I shall therefore defend the chateau as long as its
walls will hold together, and I do not quite despair of doing so
successfully, although my garrison will be but a weak one--I do not
suppose I can muster more than twenty people all told, and they by no
means reliable if it comes to a downright hand-to-hand tussle. The
question is, what are we to do with you? Should we fail, and you again
fall into the hands of the French, your fate is sealed, they will
assuredly hang you as a spy on the nearest tree."

"May I venture to ask, count, what are your intentions with regard to
your daughter?" said I.

He turned deadly pale for an instant, then the blood rushed furiously to
his head, his face crimsoned, his eyes sparkled vindictively, and the
veins of his forehead stood out like knotted cords as he hoarsely
ejaculated,--

"The man who lays a hand upon her must pass over my dead body; and let
me tell you, Signor Inglese, I shall not die easily; much French blood
will flow before I fall."

"Unless an unlucky bullet happens to strike you fairly in the forehead,
early in the fight," I suggested.

"And do you imagine that I shall be imbecile enough to expose myself in
so reckless a fashion as to render that probable?" he returned. "No!
If I fight, it will be for life, not for glory, therefore I shall take
every reasonable precaution to protect my life."

"Still," I persisted, "in the excitement of a fight prudence is
sometimes forgotten for a brief space. Would it not be advisable to