“Because I had them not, Paolo.  That box that you are carrying holds the titles.  The fief was granted to me last night by the queen herself, the Duc d’Enghien and General Gassion having been good enough to make a good deal more of that night adventure of ours than it deserved.  The estates carry a title with them, and I am now the Baron de la Villar.”

Paolo gave an exclamation of delight.  “Well, master, I am glad indeed; but,” he went on in a changed tone, “now that you, monsieur, have become a noble, you will no longer require the services of a lad from Savoy.”

“Indeed I shall, Paolo, as long as you choose to remain with me.  Why, have you not shared with me in the adventures, one of which made me a captain, and the other a colonel and a noble?  Of course I shall have other servants, but you will always be my bodyservant and companion.”

“And are you going to leave the army, monsieur?” Paolo asked, after pouring out his thanks.

“No, I shall still remain in the army.  Turenne will be in Paris soon, and will then go to the Rhine to take the command there, and I hope to go with my regiment.”

“Then you have a regiment, master?”

“Yes; one of the newly formed regiments has been named the regiment of Poitou, and I am to have the command.  Of course, it may be sent either to him or to Enghien, but I hope that it will be to Turenne; and I should think so, because from what I hear there is scarcely any army left on the Rhine, and therefore it is probable that the new regiments will all be sent there, as Enghien’s force is quite sufficient to cope with any enemy he is likely to meet with in Flanders.  Now, I am going down to the barracks, and for the next two or three hours you can amuse yourself by taking a look at Paris.”

It was not to the barracks that Hector made his way, but to The Scottish Soldier.

“I did not expect to see you so soon again, colonel.  Your man brought me word that I was not to come this morning, as you would be engaged,” the sergeant said when he entered.

“Yes, but our talk was only postponed, sergeant; now I want you to aid me in a matter that I have on hand.”

“What sort of matter is it?”

“I want to find four good men to take into my service.  The queen has granted me an estate, as if a colonelcy was not an ample and more than ample reward for discovering that ambuscade.  It is the fief of la Villar in Poitou, and the most absurd point of the thing is that with it is a title, and I am now Colonel Campbell, Baron de la Villar.”

“Well, well,” the sergeant exclaimed; “you will be coming and telling me next that you are going to marry a princess of the blood.  Did one ever hear of such things!  However, Hector, lad, I congratulate you with all my heart, and I am as glad as if it had been a bairn of my own that had had your good fortune.  Now, in what can I help you about the four men?  What sort of men do you want?”