perceptions had cleared themselves, Martin, cap in hand, was in the lane below, listening deferentially to the two gentlemen, who were assuring him that inquiry had been made, and a guard carefully set at the fugitive could have passed those, or be able to do so.  She must certainly be hidden somewhere near home, and Martin had better warn all his friends against hiding her, unless they wished to be hung up on the thresholds of their burning farm-steads.  Martin bowed, and thought the fellows would know their own interest and Mademoiselle’s better.

‘Well,’ said the Chevalier, ’we must begin without loss of time.  My son has brought down a set of fellows here, who are trained to ferret out heretics.  Not a runaway weasel cold escape them!  We will set them on as soon as ever they have taken a bit of supper up there at the Chateau; and do you come up with us just to show them the way across to Leonard’s.  That’s no unlikely place for her to lurk in, as you said this morning, good fellow.’

It was the most remote farm from that of Martin, and Eustacie felt how great were his services, even while she flushed with anger to hear him speaking of her as Mademoiselle.  He was promising to follow immediately to the castle, to meet ces Messieurs there almost as soon as they could arrive, but excusing himself from accompanying them, by the need of driving home the big bull, whom no one else could manage.

They consented, and rode on.  Martin watched them out of sight, then sprang up by some stepping-stones in the bank, a little below where Eustacie sat, and came crackling through the boughs to where she was crouching down, with fierce glittering eyes and panting breath, like a wild animal ready to spring.

‘Madame has heard,’ said Martin, under his breath.

’If I have heard!  Oh that I were a man, to slay them where they stood!  Martin, Martin! you will not betray me.  Some day WE will reward you.’

‘Madame need not have said THAT to me,’ said Martin, rather hurt.  ’I am only thinking what she can do.  Alas!  I fear that she must remain in this covert till it is dark, for these men’s eyes are all on the alert.  At dark, I or Lucette will come and find a shelter for her for the night.’

Long, long, then, did Eustacie sit, muffled in her gray cloak, shrinking together to shelter herself from the sunset chill of early spring, but shuddering more with horror than with cold as the cruel cold-blooded words she had heard recurred to her, and feeling as if she were fast within a net, every outlet guarded against her, and search everywhere; yet still with the indomitable determination to dare and suffer to the utmost ere that which was dearer than her own life should come into peril from her enemies.