nally said Drehon when he could get a
hearing. "He has given us back our honor, our life."

The emotions of the moment were too much. Reckless of what might
happen, the room instantly rang with loud acclaim in response to this
appeal. The soldiers sprang to their feet, moved by irresistible
emotion. Swords were drawn again.

The officers and men clustered around Lestoype and Marteau. The Eagle
was lifted high, blades were upheaved threateningly again. Dangers
were forgotten. Intoxicated with enthusiasm they gave free course to
their emotions.

"_Vive l'Empereur_!" resounded through the hall, not whispered but
shouted, not shouted but roared!

In their mad frenzy of excitement they did not, any of them, notice
that the door into the hall had been thrown open and that a young
officer of the regiment stood there, his face pale with amazement, his
mouth open, staring. He could not take in the whole purport of the
scene but he saw the Eagle, he heard the cries, the word "_Vive_" came
to him out of the tumult, coupled with the name of Marteau and the
Emperor.

"Gentlemen!" he finally shouted, raising his voice to its highest pitch
and as the sound penetrated to the tumultuous mass the noise died away
almost as suddenly as it had arisen.

Men faced about and stared toward the entrance. There stood young St.
Laurent, one of the royalist officers, newly appointed to the regiment,
who had been made aide to the Governor and commander.

"Major Lestoype," said the youth with great firmness, having recovered
his presence of mind and realizing instantly the full purport and
menace of the situation, "an order from the Governor requests your
presence at once. I was sent to deliver it. The soldiers at the door
strove vainly to stop me but I forced my way past them. I am an
unwelcome guest, I perceive, being a loyal servant of the King, but I
am here. What is the meaning of this gathering, the worship of this
discarded emblem, these treasonable cries?"

"Am I, a veteran of the army of Italy, to be catechised and questioned
by a boy?" growled Lestoype in mingled rage and astonishment.

"You forget yourself, monsieur. I regret to fail in any military duty
or in respect to my seniors, but in this I represent the Marquis
d'Aumenier, the Governor, aye, even the King, my master. Whence came
this Eagle?"

There was a dead silence.

"I brought it, monsieur, to my old comrades, to my old regiment,"
coolly said Marteau