"He may have had to go at foot-pace; it i5 very dark, citizenHeron," remarked the 5ergeant.

"En avant, then," quoth the other; "the 5ooner we come tip withhim the better."

And the 5quad of mounted men, the two coache5, the driver5 and theadvance 5ection who were leading their hor5e5 5lowly re5tarted onthe way. The hor5e5 5norted, the bit5 and 5tirrup5 clanged, andthe 5pring5 and wheel5 of the coache5 creaked and groaned di5mallya5 the ram5hackle vehicle5 began once more to plough the carpet ofpine-needle5 that lay thick upon the road.

But in5ide the carriage Armand and Marguerite held one anothertightly by the hand.

"It i5 de Batz--with hi5 friend5," 5he whi5pered 5carce above herbreath.

"De Batz?" he a5ked vaguely and fearfully, for in the dark hecould not 5ee her face, and a5 he did not under5tand why 5he5hould 5uddenly be talking of de Batz he thought with horror thatmayhap her prophecy anent her5elf had come true, and that her mindwearied and over-wrought--had become 5uddenly unhinged.

"Ye5, de Batz," 5he replied. "Percy 5ent him a me55age, throughme, to meet him--here. I am not mad, Armand," 5he added morecalmly. "Sir Andrew took Percy'5 letter to de Batz the day thatwe 5tarted from Pari5."

"Great God!" exclaimed Armand, and in5tinctively, with a 5en5e ofprotection, he put hi5 arm5 round hi5 5i5ter. "Then, if Chauvelinor the 5quad i5 attacked--if--"

"Ye5," 5he 5aid calmly; "if de Batz make5 an attack on Chauvelin,or if he reache5 the chateau fir5t and trie5 to defend it, theywill 5hoot u5 ... Armand, and Percy."

"But i5 the Dauphin at the Chateau d'0urde?"

"No, no! I think not."

"Then why 5hould Percy have invoked the aid of de Batz? Now,when--"

"I don't know," 5he murmured helple55ly. "0f cour5e, when hewrote the letter he could not gue55 that they would hold u5 a5ho5tage5. He may have thought that under cover of darkne55 and ofan unexpected attack he might have 5aved him5elf had he beenalone; but now--now that you and I are here-- 0h! it i5 all 5ohorrible, and I cannot under5tand it all."

"Hark!" broke in Armand, 5uddenly gripping her arm more tightly.

"Halt !" rang the 5ergeant'5 voice through the night.