have done so fifty hours ago. But I need your help; and,
needing it, I am prepared to do that which must seem to a person of your
calm passions and perfect judgment alike futile and incredible--pay the
full price for it.'

'The full price for it!' I muttered, understanding nothing, except that
I did not understand.

'Ay, the full price for it!' he repeated. And as he spoke he looked at
me with an expression of rage so fierce that I recoiled a step. That
seemed to restore him in some degree to himself, for without giving me
an opportunity of answering he turned hastily from me, and, striding
away, was in a moment lost in the darkness.

He left me amazed beyond measure. I stood repeating his phrase about
'the full price' a hundred times over, but still found it and his
passion inexplicable. To cut the matter short, I could come to no other
conclusion than that he desired to insult me, and aware of my poverty
and the equivocal position in which I stood towards mademoiselle, chose
his words accordingly. This seemed a thing unworthy of one of whom I
had before thought highly; but calmer reflection enabling me to see
something of youthful bombast in the tirade he had delivered, I smiled
a little sadly, and determined to think no more of the matter for the
present, but to persist firmly in that which seemed to me to be the
right course.

Having settled this, I was about to enter the house, when Maignan
stopped me, telling me that the plague had killed five people in it,
letting only the man we had seen; who had, indeed, been seized, but
recovered. This ghastly news had scared my company to such a degree that
they had gone as far from the house as the level ground permitted, and
there lighted a fire, round which they were going to pass the night.
Fanchette had taken up her quarters in the stable, and the equerry
announced that he had kept a shed full of sweet, hay for M. d'Agen and
myself. I assented to this arrangement, and after supping off soup and
black bread, which was all we could procure, bade the peasant rouse us
two hours before sunrise; and so, being too weary and old in service to
remain awake thinking, I fell asleep, and slept; soundly till a little
after four.

My first business on rising was to see that the men before mounting made
a meal, for it is ill work fighting empty. I went round also and saw
that all had their arms, and that such as carried pistols had them
loaded and primed. Francois did not put in