ncing to me with an air
of insolent menace; 'you, at least, ought to know the way out of this
difficulty.'

'Or, by Heaven, his own road shall be one of the shortest, considering
the length of the journey,' muttered another; and I could hear the sharp
click of a pistol-cock as he spoke the words.

'This is unworthy of you, gentlemen, and of me,' said De Marsanne
haughtily; and he gazed around him with a look that seemed to abash
them; 'nor is it a time to hold such disputation. There is another and
a very difficult call to answer. Are we agreed?' Before he could finish
the sentence the door was burst open, and several dragoons in French
uniforms entered, and ranged themselves across the entrance, while a
colonel, with his sabre drawn, advanced in front of them.

'This is brigandage,' cried De Marsanne passionately, as he drew
his sword, and seemed meditating a spring through them; but he was
immediately surrounded by his friends and disarmed. Indeed nothing
could be more hopeless than resistance; more than double our number were
already in the room, while the hoarse murmur of voices without, and the
tramp of heavy feet, announced a strong party.

At a signal from their officers the dragoons unslung their carbines,
and held them at the cock, when the colonel called out, 'Which of you,
messieurs, is the Due d'Enghien?'

'If you come to arrest him,' replied De Marsanne, * you ought to have
his description in your warrant.'

'Is the descendant of a Conde ashamed to own his name?' asked the
colonel, with a sneer. 'But we 'll make short work of it, sirs; I arrest
you all My orders are peremptory, messieurs. If you resist, or attempt
to escape--' and he made a significant sign with his hand to finish. The
'Duc'---for I need no longer call him De Marsanne--never spoke a word,
but with folded arms calmly walked forward, followed by his little
household. As we descended the stairs, we found ourselves in the midst
of about thirty dismounted dragoons, all on the alert, and prepared for
any resistance. The remainder of a squadron were on horseback without.
With a file of soldiers on either hand, we marched for about a quarter
of a mile across the fields to a small mill, where a general officer and
his staff seemed awaiting our arrival. Here, too, a picket of gendarmes
was stationed--a character of force significant enough of the meaning
of the enterprise. We were hurriedly marched into the court of the mill,
the owner of whic