head, thick neck, broad
shoulders, and limbs like those of a gladiator. He sniffed
contemptuously at the pistols which Pillot had left, but handled a huge
iron-shod club lovingly, and on being spoken to, grunted like a pig.
Sitting on the straw, he laid the club beside him, and, having cleared
a space, produced a dice-box and dice, with which he played left hand
against right.

After watching this monotonous game for half-an-hour, and finding
Pierre absolutely deaf to my questions, I turned my face to the wall
and tried to think. Pillot's conversation had explained many things,
but unfortunately it threw no light on the reason for my imprisonment.
He had not denied that De Retz was the man behind the curtain, but what
was it the Abbe wished me to do?

The more I puzzled the more mysterious the affair looked. I invented a
thousand reasons, all more or less fantastic and absurd, till my mind
grew wearied with thinking. Meanwhile, Pierre sat on his heap of straw
calmly playing his ridiculous game, calling out the numbers as the dice
fell, but keenly alive to the slightest sound.

Thus miserably the afternoon wore away; the room grew dark; Pierre
packed up his dice, and, walking to the barred window, peered into the
darkness. I wondered whether Raoul or John Humphreys had called at my
rooms, and if so, what they would think of my sudden disappearance.

Presently, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps; the door was
unfastened, and Pillot entered with a couple of candles stuck in broken
bottles, which only served to make the place more dreary than before.
Then Francois followed with some supper, and after he and Pierre had
departed, my gaoler did the honours of the table--or rather the
floor--like a generous host bent on pleasing his guest to the utmost.

He was rather excited, and talked so freely that I hoped to worm some
information out of him, but the rascal guarded his tongue well, only
letting fall a hint that we might take a long journey on the following
night. Still I gathered from his air of mystery, and the importance he
displayed, that the plot--whatever its nature--was rapidly ripening.

"Now, monsieur," he observed, when we had finished supper, "I shall
leave you to the care of Francois. Remember my warning, and do not
attempt to escape, because it is useless. If all goes well we shall be
able to provide you with better accommodation in a day or two.
Meanwhile, you have only to enjoy yourself,