The Battle Of The Strong [A Romance of Two Kingdoms], Volume 1.

Savary dit

ng man said, glancing through the open doorway again to where the conne

r?" said Ranulph, closing

events had crowded too fast that morning. Detricand was st

l, Guida-he's wounde

ently, and dropped upon the veille,

d I'll have no cordial, not a drop. A drink o

ough as he took the hanap and drank off the water at a gulp. Again she filled it and again he drank. The blood was running

invader, M. Savary dit Detricand,-no one knew that he was the young Comte de Tournay of the House of Vaufontaine, but because he was a

denly still. He permitted her to wash the blood from his temple and forehead, to stanch it first

breath fanned him. As he bent his head for the bandaging, he could see the soft pulsing of her bosom, and hear the beating of her heart. Her neck

an unpurchasable kind of gratitude characteristic of this especial sort of sinner. He was just young enough, and there was still enough natural health in him, to know the healing touch of

girl quickly, and looked straight

, ran up the stairs, gripped the ruffian, and threw him through the window into the street. As I did so a door opened behind, and another cut-throat came at me with a pistol. He fired-fired wide. I ran in on him, and before he had time to think he was out of the window too. Then the other brute below fi

waited for the chevalier and de Mauprat to sit. He had no sooner taken a mouthful, however

head! I've a letter for you, brought from Rouen by one of the refugees who came yesterday."

etter, and, breaking it, spread open the paper, fumbled for the eye- gla

Jean's boat," said he. "A vessel was driven ashore there three days ago, and my carpenters are at work o

ked his life so often; and he had never had a serious accident. To go to sea with Jean Touzel, folk said, was safer than living on

nd nodded assent. She then said gaily to

of the way,"

enly the little chevalier broke in. "By

ement, and Guida coloured, for the words soun

of them imperatively yet abstractedly too. Then, pursing up his lower lip, and with a g

ught. If he had looked at a wall it would have been the same. But Detricand, who had an almost whimsical sense of humour, felt h

r with his eye-glass; "the most terrible and yet the most romantic things are here. A drop o

of cider. The little grey thrush of a man sipped

oeth hence from among divers dangers, unto my cousin, the Chevalier du Champsavoys de Bea

wer pass for ever. That day ten thousand of the sans- culottes forced their way into the palace to kill him. A faithful few surrounded him. In the mad turmoil, we were fearful, he was serene. 'Feel,' said Louis, placing his hand on his bosom, 'feel whether this is

people cried out for more liberty, and their liberators gave them the freedom of death. A fortnight ago, Danton, the incomparable fiend, let loose his assassins upon the priests of God. Now Paris is made a theatre where the people whom Louis and his nobles would have died to save have turned every street into a stable of carnage, every prison and hospital into a vast charnel-house. One last revolting thing alone remains to

s Guard, whose hacked and severed limbs were broiled and eaten in the streets by these monsters who mutilate the land. Isidore, the youngest, defied a hundred of Robespierre's cowards on the steps of the Assembly, and was

you should almost hear the voice of de la Rochejaquelein and the marching cries of our loyal legions. If there be justice in God we shall conquer. But there will be joy n

you shall know the importance

u-for he is here in seclusion with me-and to unfold to you what has hitherto been secret. Eleven years ago the only nephew of the Prince, after some naughty escapades, fled from the Court with Rullecour the adventurer, who invaded the Isle of Jersey. From that hour he has b

brownish hair, dark grey eyes, and had over the right shoulder a scar from a sword thrust. It seemeth little possible that, if living, he should still remain in

n in no more hope than I live; and you can well guess how faint that is. One y

till waits at a desecrated altar; and for myself you must

l friend and

ANI

read it not till wintertide, was told you

s eyebrows beetled over till the eyes themselves seemed like two glints of flame. Delagarde dropped a fist heavily upon the table, and held it there clinched, while his heel beat a tattoo of excitement upon the floor. Guida's breath came quick and fast-as Ranulph said afterward

They leaned forward eagerly, seizing every word, and both instinctivel

of her people. His face turned scarlet as the thing came home to him now. He dropped his head in his hand as if to listen more attentively, but it was in truth to hide his emotion. When the names of Vaufontaine and de Tournay were mentioned, he gave a little start, then suddenly ruled himself to a strange stillness. His face seemed presently to clear; he even smiled a little. Conscious that de Mauprat and Delagarde were watching him, he appeared to listen with

he old man, and returned to

a moment. Then the chevalier lifted his eye

said, "but you were with R

droll sort of helpless

ve chance to forg

d him again with the glass, pursed his lips, and with the importance of a

e of the Comte de

saying, Chevalier," an

his fingers upon the table, stood up, and,

u are the Com

his hands, and his eyebrows drew down in excitement. Guida gave a little cry of astonishment. But Detricand

soon to levy upon the kinship, I shall dine with you today, chevalier. I paid my debts yesterday,

or rather dropped i

omte de Tournay, monsie

with you to-day," ret

Mauprat dubiously, touching

ouse; on Thursday I went oyster-fishing with a native who has three wives, and a butcher who has been banished four times for not keeping holy the Sabbath Day; and I drank from eleven o'clock till sunrise this morning with three Scotch sergeants of the line-which is very like the Comte de Tournay, as you were saying, Chevalier! I am five feet eleven, and the Comte de Tournay was five feet ten-which is no lie," he added und

ace. "I am most sorry; I am most sorry," he said h

ou must apologise," said Detric

I looked at you, monsieur, his face came back to me. It would have made my cousin so happy if you had been the Comte de Tournay and I had found you here." The old man

-care, irresponsible shamelessness of his face dropped away

ath. "De Tournay was a fiery, ambitious, youngster with bad companions. De Tournay told me he repented of coming

ok his head sadly. "I

, and then Detricand ans

re i

rnay that I would

im?" asked the old man.

espatch a letter to h

y honou

you, monsieur; I wi

o-night," rejoined Detricand. "It may take time to reach

et to put the question he kne

onsieur le comte wil

l," answered De

r. "Will you take snuff with me, monsieur?" He offered his silver snuff-

d, and took a pinch. "I