king, we saw a lonely figure in the distance
galloping by the Marais de St. Hilaire. Then he turned the angle of
the great priory. There was a flash of his red plume, a glitter of
sunlight on his corselet, and he was gone.

"If you take my advice, monsieur," I said to De Ganache, "you will be
off at once. Here is a horse--and there is the open gate." And with
this I placed the reins of my nag, which Pierrebon had brought up, in
his hand. The enthusiasm of the moment caught all. Menorval of the
Light Horse gave him a sword, someone else a hat, another a cloak. The
colour came and went from De Ganache's sunburnt face as, stammering his
thanks, he mounted. Then he put out his hand to me. "Monsieur," he
said, "I can never forget; and De Ganache is ever your friend. _Au
revoir_, gentlemen!" So, giving the reins to the horse, he galloped
out of the gate, which was but a stonethrow distant. As he crossed the
bridge he turned in the saddle and waved his hand in farewell, and then
we lost him in the hollow ground beyond.

Mounting Pierrebon's horse I joined the others, and we rode back to the
priory--Menorval swearing that I must be a magician, as never before
had he known Montluc yield as he had done this morning.

As for me, though surprised at the result, my satisfaction was
increased by the thought that in aiding De Ganache I had helped one who
was a friend of mademoiselle. It was not this that had prompted me to
intervene on his behalf. Had it been anyone else I should have acted
as I had done. De Ganache was not clean-handed. He had shown little
mercy to those who fell into his hands, and when face to face with
death he had shown the white feather, though at the last he seemed to
recover himself. Still, guilty though he may have been, his death
would have been a crime, and it was something to think I had stood
between Montluc and that terrible blood madness which at times
possessed him.

On arrival at the Capuchins my first thought was to see Montluc at
once, and although Sarlaboux and others tried to dissuade me I
persisted in my design, and found myself once more before the door of
his cabinet. On my entering he received me coldly, and, without making
any reference to what had just happened, inquired my business as if he
had totally forgotten his summons to me. I explained that I was there
in obedience to his request to see me, and after a moment of thought he
said:

"You recollect I told you I w