The latter told him all he had overheard the preceding evening, and then he unfolded his plan, for Charlie’s destruction, but tried to impress on the old man that he had better loosen the rope himself.

This Pierre would not listen to; said his courage might fail him; then pleaded his age, failing strength, and many other things; finally, he said, he would not do it, adding, “One would think I wanted the girl for my wife; no, do thy own business unless thou art very anxious to give Marguerite to this fine soldier.  I warrant me that will be the end of it.”

“Father Pierre, thou well know’st I would sooner die a thousand times than he should have her, so I will do the thing myself; but how shall I give reason for my presence here?  Marguerite, for days, even weeks past, has been looking at me with suspicion in her eyes, as though she divined my thoughts towards that lover of hers?”

“Leave all to me.  Can I not have whom I like in my own house?  I see that though thou may’st not dread other things, thou art well frightened at a woman’s looks.  Well, well, there’s something in that, too.”

“Yes, Father Pierre, there is; much sometimes.”

“But leave looks to mind themselves now, and I will show you what to do, and where to go.  You can well be in the room behind the granary, as one or two of the rafters need mending.  Let Marguerite see you leave your work and start for home; then when she goes to show her light say ’All is well,’ thou can’st come back and be ready for the bird with his bright plumage.  Ha! he would go elsewhere and pipe his song, did he know the manner in which we are preparing his perch!”

“That is all well; the popinjay can’t escape us now.”

“Come in, Jacques, and have some breakfast with us; I think I hear Marguerite busy at it now.”

“Marguerite will not have a welcome for me, I know; but as she is to be my wife, she may as well get used to my presence now.”

When they entered Marguerite turned round wondering who could be with her Father at such an early hour.  On seeing who it was, her face clouded, and she immediately experienced that same feeling of fear come over her as she always had of late when she saw her Father and Jacques Gaultier together.  She said “good morning” to them, and then resumed the preparation for the morning meal.  Jacques’ dark eyes followed her all about the room; doubtless he was thinking of the time when she would be performing the same duties under his roof, while she—­Well, we will not penetrate into her thoughts; no doubt she would prefer keeping them to herself, so we will let her, in the certainty that the train of thought was very different to that of Jacques Gaultier.