" With this I sat down on one of the
huge roots, that coiled like monstrous serpents at my feet, and leaning
my head against the tree prepared to wait for the dawn.

My arm, where Simon's sword had touched me, now began to remind me that
it needed attention. A low whistle brought Pierrebon to my side, and
the injury was looked to by such light as the moon gave. Fortunately
it was but a slight flesh wound, and an improvised bandage soon gave
relief. So, resting it in a sling out of my scarf, I leaned back once
more, and bade Pierrebon go and sleep.

For an hour or more I sat thus, watching and thinking. At last, rising
slowly, I cautiously stepped up to mademoiselle and looked. She was
asleep; but so still did she lie, so pale and white did she look, that
I thought for a terrible moment that she was dead, and bent over her,
placing my hand close to her lips to feel if she breathed. She moved
uneasily as I did so, and I came back to my tree and to my thoughts.
Finally, as the moon was sinking, I too slept, and as I slept I
dreamed. I saw myself once more riding towards Orrain, and not alone,
for mademoiselle was by my side. As we rode out of the pine-woods the
Chateau stood before us. There was the square keep, with its
pepper-box towers, and bartizans overhanging the moat. There were the
grey ramparts tapestried in ivy, and the terraced gardens, where the
peacocks sunned themselves. All around us were happy faces, and joyous
voices welcoming us home--the home to which I had so long been dead;
and it was mine now, and more besides--and then--I awoke with a start
and looked around me. It was all so real.

"Tush!" I exclaimed, "have I slipped back into the days of enchantment
and the fay Melusine?" And rising I saw it was touching dawn, for the
east was red, and the morning star, Maguelonne--the shepherd's star, as
we call it in our hills--was burning bright. Mademoiselle and
Pierrebon were still asleep, and it was too early yet to awaken them.
It would be time enough when the sun rose, and in the meanwhile I began
to reflect upon the best means of bestowing mademoiselle in safety.
Razines was so near to Richelieu that if the latter were occupied by
marauders they would hardly have left the little hamlet alone, unless,
indeed, they were Huguenots who were in Richelieu. In which event
Razines, which was known to be touched with the new heresy, would
probably be unharmed. This, however, did not make things