alled
"Aurelia," and had told him the story of Ibn Jasher and the Physician of
Aleppo.

"No, I am not well," he answered. He sat, warmly wrapped up, in the high
chair in his parlour, his face so drawn with want of sleep that Captain
Blandano of the city guard, who had come to take his orders, had no
difficulty in believing him. "I am not well," he repeated peevishly. "It
is the weather." He had some soup before him. Beside it stood a tiny
phial of medicine; a phial strangely shaped and strange looking,
containing something not unlike the green cordial of the Carthusians.

"It troubles me a good deal, too," Blandano said. "There are seven men
absent in the fourth ward. And two men, whose wives are urgent with me
that they should have leave."

"Leave?" the Syndic cried. "Do they think naught"--leaning forward in a
passion--"of the safety of the city? If I were not ill, I would take
service on the wall myself to set an example!"

"There is no need of that," the Captain answered respectfully, "if I
might have permission to withdraw a few men from the west side so as to
fill the places on the east----"

"Ay, ay!"

"From the Rhone side of the town----"

"From the Corraterie? That is least open to assault."

"Yes, from that part perhaps would be best," Blandano assented, nodding.
"Yes, I think so. If I might do that, I think I could manage."

"Well, then do it," Blondel answered. "And make a note that I assented
to your suggestion to take them from the Corraterie and put them on the
lower part of the wall. After all, the nights are very bitter now, and
there are limits. Do the men grumble much?"

"It is as much as I can do to make them go the rounds," Blandano
answered. "Some plead the weather; and some argue that, with President
Rochette, whose word is as good as his bond, on the point of coming to
an agreement with us, the rounds are a farce!"

The Syndic shrugged his shoulders. "Well!" he muttered, rubbing his chin
and looking thoughtfully before him, "we must not wear the men out.
There is no moon now, is there?"

"No."

"And the enemy can attempt nothing without light," Blondel continued,
thinking aloud. "See here, Blandano, we must not put too heavy a burden
on our people. I see that. As it is so cold, I think you may pass the
word to pretermit the rounds to-night--save two. At what hours would you
suggest?"

Blandano considered his own comfort--as the other expected he would--and
answered, "Early and