e.

"I trust monsieur is better," exclaimed a voice in my ear, and there
was Captain Courcy mounted on a powerful horse close by my side.

And here I must stop to mention that the old soldier performed his part
very cleverly. He exhibited such surprise at seeing me, that, but for
Pillot's warning, I should have believed we met by accident. As it
was, he found me on my guard.

"I owe you an apology, captain," said I pleasantly; "I fear that last
night you must have considered me very ill-mannered."

"No, no, the fault was mine. You were tired and I worried you
thoughtlessly. Ah, now I see you are not my old friend, De Lalande."

"Yet I am a De Lalande," I laughed, telling him what he already knew;
"Henri de Lalande was my cousin. He is dead now, poor fellow; you will
not see him again."

"Dead?" he exclaimed in a tone of surprise; "Henri dead? No; it is
impossible."

"Yet it is true! I was with him when he died."

It was vastly entertaining to watch the old rogue's antics as he
expressed his astonishment, though knowing as well as I that my cousin
was dead and buried, but I kept a grave face.

"Well, well," said he, "I shall miss him sorely. We were excellent
friends, though there were twenty years between us. Do you know----
But there, I am wasting your time and my own. I have an errand in
Mezieres. I suppose you are not riding in that direction?"

"As it happens it is precisely where I am going."

"How odd," he cried. "Why, if you do not object we can travel
together. The roads are not over safe, and in case of danger one can
help the other."

"A good plan, captain, though these highway robbers are not much to be
feared! I always keep my sword sharp and my pistols loaded."

"And I warrant you can use both at a pinch. Henri, now, was a famous
swordsman. Poor fellow; he would not leave that wretched Abbe, though
I often begged him to come over to our side."

The easy, natural way in which the fellow foisted himself on me as a
travelling-companion was really wonderful. There was no sign of any
plan or arrangement; we were, it seemed, chance travellers proceeding
to the same place, and having a subject to discuss which interested us
both.

As for me, I endeavoured not to betray my suspicion, but you may be
sure I did not sleep on the journey. Courcy himself, especially if he
caught me at a disadvantage, was more than my match, while his two
companions might appear at any moment. So I r