s, whence he was allowed to go
into the town during daylight; being obliged, however, to attend at
roll call at midday. The fortifications of the town were so strong
and well guarded that it was supposed that the chance of escape was
small.

The following day the Marquis de Pignerolles took an affectionate
leave of Rupert, and went on to join the army; and an hour or two
later Captain Louis d'Etamps, the cousin of whom Diana had written,
called upon him, and placed himself at his service. His cousin had
told him of the supposed crime for which Rupert had been sent away
from court, and felt much sympathy with what she considered his
hard treatment. Not only Louis d'Etamps, but the French officers of
the garrison, showed great kindness and attention to the English
prisoner, for the Duke of Marlborough had treated the French
officers who fell into his hands at Ramilies with such kindness and
courtesy, that the French were glad to have an opportunity of
reciprocating the treatment when the chance fell in their way. Late
in the autumn, the Marquis de Pignerolles was brought back to Lille
seriously wounded in one of the last skirmishes of the campaign.
Rupert spent all the time he was allowed to be out of barracks at
his friend's quarters. The wound was not considered dangerous, but
it would keep the marquis a prisoner to his room for weeks.

A few days after the marquis was brought in, Louis d'Etamps came
into Rupert's room early in the morning.

"I have a note for you from my fair cousin," he said. "It must be
something particular, for she has sent a special messenger with a
letter to me, and on opening it I find only a line asking me to
give you the enclosed instantly."

Rupert opened the latter from Diana d'Etamps; it was as follows:

"Adele has been ordered to marry the Duc de Carolan on the 15th.
Unless she consents, she is on the 14th to be sent to the nunnery
of Saint Marie, the strictest in France, where they will somehow or
other wring consent from her before many weeks are over. They have
done so in scores of cases like hers. I promised to tell you, and I
have done so. But I don't see that anything can be done. I hear
Monsieur le Marquis is badly wounded, but even were he here, he
could do nothing. The king is resolute. The Duc de Carolan has just
given 200,000 crowns towards the expenses of the war."

"May I see?" Louis d'Etamps said, for the young men were now fast
friends.

Rupert handed him the note.