The Refugees

its owner, with high peaked roof, long diamond-paned windows, a frame-work of black wood, with gray plaster filling the interstices, and five stone steps which led up to the narrow

eople, who were swaying and tossing with excitement, their chins all thrown forwards and their gaze directed upwards.

close-cropped head swung slowly backwards and forwards a good fifty feet above the pavement. His face was turned towards the street, and was of a deadly whiteness, while his eyes wer

wever, was not directed towards his victim, but was half turned over his shoulder to confront a group of soldiers who were clustering at the long, open window which led out into

es, and the dragoon hung now by one only, his other leg flapping helplessly in the air. He grabbed aiml

me up!” he screamed. “Would you murd

of the young man above him, speaking excellent French, but in a

ed name of

f your me

Do you wish to see me dashed to p

tug at the dragoon’s leg as he spoke, which jerked him up so far that he could twist round

r heaven’s s

you quit

pull m

n. You can talk very

p, sir, l

it is inconvenient to you to ta

would m

y, I am going t

n bles

y on con

e granted! I

n. You will not trouble this old man or th

; we sh

of h

y. Only p

w how the laws are over here. Maybe this sort of thing is not permitt

e. Only pu

od. Come

om the crowd, he tumbled all in a heap over the rail on to the balcony, where he lay for a few moments as he had fallen.

he and his companion had nearly reached the bottom of the steps. The uniform of the king’s guard was in itself a passport anywhere, and the face of old Catinat was so well known

! Oh, maste

ch infamy! They

m, t

from America. Oh, my

metal wheels and wooden splinters. An instant afterwards four men, so locked together that they formed but one rolling bundle, came thudding down amid a debris of splintered stair-rails, and writhed and struggled upon the landing, staggering up, falling down, and all breathing together like the wind in a chimney. So twisted and twined were they that it was hard to pick one from the other, save that the innermost was clad in black Flemish cloth, while the three who clung to him were soldiers of the king. Yet so strong and vigorous was the man whom they tried to hold

n, Dalbert!

arkly at the new-comer. His long sallow face was distorted with anger, and his small black eyes blazed with passion and with the hell-fire light of unsatisfied vengeance. His troopers h

with you before, Dalbert,” said

ng’s errand,” s

t. On gu

on duty,

d. Your s

o quarrel

him across the face with his open hand. “It

s, men! Hola, there, from above! Cut down this fellow

upon the landing advanced upon their former antagonist. He slipped by them, howev

aid he, taking his plac

and fight me like a gen

e bourgeois Huguenot, wh

write liar on you

the cudgel of the young stranger which sent his weapon tinkling on to the ground. A trooper, however, on the stair had pulled out a pistol, and clapping it within a foot of the guardsman’s head, was about to settle the combat, once and forever, when a little old gentleman, who had quietly ascended from the street, and who had been l

military tinge to his appearance. In his gait and bearing he had a dainty strut and backward cock of the head, which, taken with his sharp black eyes, his high thin features, and his assured manner, would impress a stranger with the feeling that this was a man of power. And, indeed, in France or out of it there were few to whom this man’s name was not familiar, for in all France the only figure which loomed up as large as that of the king was this very li

d the old soldie

h? I know your face, captain. But

f Picardy, your Highness

ou, sir, who the

r Highness, of the La

ou standing on your head in the air. The young

ung stranger. “Yet when I had let him up, he set hi

e, smiling, as he glanced at the litter which was strewed all

Huguenot and an enemy of the k

not keep it. And why did you let him go,

ved his

e of a trus

used to deal

word is better than that of an

think so an

and brushed the wandering grains from his

keenly at the broad shoulders and arching chest of

re, sir. But I a

his head.

ir; a

at pro

ince of N

ief tow

ny is the

me you to s

was of Fr

g have you b

d

n to throw your mother’s c

d with him, upon which he called upon his fellows to aid him. To keep them off, I swore that I would drop him over if they moved a ste

ll. You are young, bu

ed in the w

Frontenac some work ere he found this empire of which he ta

orders, yo

that his Majesty erred by being too harsh with a woman.” He gave a

use every means which may drive t

, glancing sardonically out of his twinkling black eyes at the brutal face of the dragoon. “T

’s command, y

eave your honour behind.” He had turned in an instant from the sneering, strutting old beau to the fierce soldier with set face and eye of fire. D

from the landing, “you have indeed been a saviour of Israel and a stumbling-block to the froward thi

ered the chamber, looking around him in surprise and admiration at its magnificence. With its panelling of dark shining oak, its polish

tunate chance which made me pass in time to be of service to honest men. When a house hangs out such a sign as an officer of dragoons with his heels in

indeed hea

ar from court is correct. I wonde

s and my du

affairs best. Would it not be w

gave a gest

nd where is this fair maid who

he old servant, who had carried in the silver tra

er in my ro

ere is

om, and threw her arms round the old merchant’s neck.

have been hurt, thanks to his Hi

ce, which was perfect in feature and expression. With her sweet delicate contour, her large gray eyes, and the sweep of the lustrous hair, setting off with its rich tint the little shell-like ears

my account.” He bowed, and sighed in the fashion that was in vogue when Buckingham c

pare those forty ye

gue too? Your daughter has

Highness! She is

great world, to hear sweet music, see all that is lovely, and wear all that is costly, rather than look o

” said she, putting her two hands upon his s

in spite of his age, bore an evil name among women. He had come close to her as he spoke, and had even p

he is as good as she is fair, and one could not say more than that if she were from heaven direct. My carriage waits, gentlemen, and I wish you all a very good day!” He inclined his bewigg

at we are your debtors even more. You have risked your life for my cousin, and but for your cudgel, Dalbert would ha

st to the carriage. “He has been raised up as a champion for the afflicted, and as a helper for those who are in nee

ures. The blood flushed to his weather-tanned, clear-cut face, as smooth as that of a boy, and yet marked b

o sisters over the wate

our women fo

wams of the Sacs and the Foxes, foul livers and foul talkers, ever squatting like toads around their fires. Then when I have come back to Albany where my folk then dwelt, and have heard my sisters play upon the spinet and sing, and my mother talk to

is as eloquent as he is brave,” said Adele Catinat, who, standing

ken freely and with energy. At the sight of the girl,

re that one comes to forget how to do it. It was for this that my father wished me to

u stop in Paris?” a

im Savage co

who i

r of the G

t is you

then must go to Bristol again. When she comes back once more, E

like yo

y lively place, and truly from the little that I have seen this

fashion, four of you together with a Dutch clock as an avant-courier, and a

and folk living there, and they say that they could send out four hundred fighting-men, though I can scarce bring myself to believe it. Yet from all parts of the city one may see something of God’s handiwork—the trees, the

the river,” cried the young girl. “And then the wonder that you can find you

r way among these thousands of houses. For myself

d w

ay see th

l find no ch

ld find this house again. In the daytime I can carry a knife and notch the door-posts as I pas

uld be as well that you should have a guide at first; so, if you have two horses ready in your stables, uncle, our friend and I might shortly ride back to Versailles together, for I have a spell of guard agai

come out with you, if we ma

the Prince of Conde will be as a shield and a buckler to u

the guardsman, as he turned away to where Adel