e of your assailants making off!" the duke said; and
Rupert saw that the trooper had regained his feet and was limping
slowly away.

"He fell light," Rupert said; "he was no weight to speak of."

"The other officer is killed, I think," the duke said, looking with
a telescope.

"I fancy so," Rupert said, drily. "I hit him rather hard. He was
the Duc de Carolan, and as he had given much annoyance to a friend
of mine, not to mention a serious act of disservice to myself, I
must own that if I had to kill a Frenchman in order to escape, I
could not have picked out one with whom I had so long an account to
settle."

The officer now rode back, and reported that the prisoner was
General Mouffler.

"A good cavalry officer," the duke said. "It is a useful capture.

"And now, Rupert, you will want to be with your friends. If we
encamp here tonight, come in to me after it is dark and tell me
what you have been doing. If not, come to me the first evening we
halt."

Rupert now rode back to his regiment, where he was again received
with the greatest delight. The men had now dismounted, and Rupert,
after a few cordial words with his brother officers, went off to
find Hugh.

He found the faithful fellow leaning against a tree, fairly crying
with emotion and delight, and Rupert himself could not but shed
tears of pleasure at his reunion with his attached friend. After a
talk with Hugh, Rupert again returned to the officers, who were
just sitting down to a dinner on the grass.

After the meal was over Rupert was called upon to relate his
adventures. Some parts of his narrative were clear enough, but
others were singularly confused and indistinct. The first parts
were all satisfactory. Rupert's capture was accounted for. He said
that in the person of the commanding officer he met an old friend
of Colonel Holliday, who took him to Paris, and presented him at
Versailles.

Then the narrative became indistinct. He fell into disgrace. His
friend was sent back to the army, and he was sent to Lille.

"But why was this, Rupert," Captain Dillon--for he was now a
captain--asked. "Did you call his Majesty out? Or did you kiss
Madame de Maintenon? Or run away with a maid of honour?"

A dozen laughing suggestions were made, and then Rupert said
gravely:

"There was an unfounded imputation that I was interfering with the
plans which his Majesty had formed for the marriage of a lady and
gentleman of the court."

Rupert spoke so grav