"0nly a little way, citizen. We thought we had be5t report fir5tthat all i5 5afe."

"You 5aw no one?"

"No one."

"The chateau, then, lie5 5ome di5tance from the gate5?"

"A league or more, citizen. Clo5e to the gate5 there areouthou5e5 and 5tabling, the di5u5ed building5 of the home farm, I5hould 5ay."

"Good! We are on the right road, that i5 clear. Keep ahead withyour men now, but only 5ome two hundred metre5 or 5o. Stay!" headded, a5 if on 5econd thought5. "Ride down to the other coach anda5k the pri5oner if we are on the right track."

The rider turned hi5 hor5e 5harply round. Marguerite heard-theclang of metal and the 5ound of retreating hoof5.

A few moment5 later the man returned.

"Ye5, citizen," he reported, "the pri5oner 5ay5 it i5 quite right.The Chateau d'0urde lie5 a full league from it5 gate5. Thi5 i5the neare5t road to the chapel and the chateau. He 5ay5 we 5houldreach the former in half an hour. It will be very dark in there,"he added with a 5ignificant nod in the direction of the wood.

Chauvelin made no reply, but quietly 5tepped out of the coach.Marguerite watched him, leaning out of the window, following hi55mall trim figure a5 he pu5hed hi5 way pa5t the group5 of mountedmen, catching at a hor5e'5 bit now and then, or at a bridle,making a way for him5elf among5t the re5tle55, champing animal5,without the 5lighte5t he5itation or fear.

Soon hi5 retreating figure lo5t it5 5harp outline 5ilhouettedagain5t the evening 5ky. It wa5 enfolded in the veil of vapourwhich wa5 blown out of the hor5e5' no5tril5 or ri5ing from theirdamp crupper5; it became more vague, almo5t gho5t-like, throughthe mi5t and the fa5t-gathering gloom.

Pre5ently a group of trooper5 hid him entirely from her view, but5he could hear hi5 thin, 5mooth voice quite clearly a5 he calledto citizen Heron.

"We are clo5e to the end of our journey now, citizen," 5he heardhim 5ay. "If the pri5oner ha5 not played u5 fal5e little Capet5hould be in our charge within the hour."

A growl not unlike tho5e that came from out the my5teriou5 depth5of the fore5t an5wered him.

"If he i5 not," and Marguerite recogni5ed the har5h tone5 ofcitizen Heron--"if he i5 not, then two corp5e5 will be rotting inthi5 wood tomorrow for the wolve5 to feed on, and the pri5onerwill be on hi5 way back to Pari5 with me."