Was this Esperance, the most irreproachable of pastor’s daughters and widows?  ’What, Madame, so soon as your good father is under ground?  At least I thought ONE woman could be trusted; but it seems we must see to the wounded ourselves.’

She blushed, but stood her ground; and Berenger shouted, ’She is my wife, sir!—­my wife whom I have sought so long!’

‘That must be as Madame la Duchesse chooses,’ said the Captain.  ’She is under her charge, and must be sent to her as soon as this canaille is cleared off.  To your rooms, Madame!’

‘I am her husband!’ again cried Berenger.  ’We have been married sixteen years.’

’You need not talk to me of dowry; Madame la Duchesse will settle that, if you are fool enough to mean anything by it.  No, no, Mademoiselle, I’ve no time for folly.  Come with me, sir, and see if that be true which they say of the rogues outside.’

And putting his arm into Berenger’s, he fairly carried him off, discoursing by the way on feu M. l’Amiral’s saying that ’over-strictness in camp was perilous, since a young saint, an old devil,’ but warning him that this was prohibited gear, as he was responsible for the young woman to Madame la Duchesse.  Berenger, who had never made the Captain hear anything that he did not know before, looked about for some interpreter whose voice might be more effectual, but found himself being conducted to the spiral stair of the church steeple; and suddenly gathering that some new feature in the case had arisen, followed the old man eagerly up the winding steps to the little square of leaden roof where the Quinet banner was planted.  It commanded a wide and splendid view, to the Bay of Biscay on the one hand, and the inland mountains on the other; but the warder who already stood there pointed silently to the north, where, on the road by which Berenger had come, was to be seen a cloud of dust, gilded by the rays of the rising sun.

Who raised it was a matter of no doubt; and Berenger’s morning orisons were paid with folded hands, in silent thanks-giving, as he watched the sparkling of pikes and gleaming of helmets—­and the white flag of Bourbon at length became visible.

Already the enemy below were sending out scouts—­they rode to the top of the hill—­then a messenger swan his horse across the river.  In the camp before the bridge-tower men buzzed out of their tents, like ants whose hill is disturbed; horses were fastened to the cannon, tents were struck, and it was plain that the siege was to be raised.

Captain Falconnet did his ally the honour to consult him on the expedience of molesting the Guisards by a sally, and trying to take some of their guns; but Berenger merely bowed to whatever he said, while he debated aloud the PROS and CONS, and at last decided that the garrison had been too much reduced for this, and that M. le Duc would prefer finding them drawn up in good order to receive him, to their going chasing