es of
the everlasting Satan beat joyously. Here is God! exclaims the brood,
murder, torture them! here is Christ! roar the others, and slay the
adversaries. Does an eye from heaven behold? Do the stars know of us?
will the lost, the nameless one after eternity find himself once more
in his, by himself accursed creation, and will he not then send forth,
epidemics, pestilences, famines, fiery flames, and floods of waters,
together with earth-quakes and a thousand all-powerful deaths on white
horses, in order to crush this his brood, to grind, to powder into
nothing, who scandalously imagine that the sparks of his spirit dwell
in them. He, He himself inspires them? Yea no future hell; we are it
and live in it, prophecied from the ancient prophets mouth. We dust of
dust, we curse of curse!"

Now the prayer of the prophet seemed to operate with greater fervour,
for the voice of Ravanel died away, he appeared to sink into slumber
totally exhausted, and Lacoste said: "Oh that this pithy syllogism
should be thus interrupted, he might have added to the preceding
several other arguments just as bold and subtle."

Bertrand now returned with the courier prisoner, whom he had met in the
ravine. "Behold," said Lacoste to himself, "all corresponds, either
these are slyer devils, than they have ever been considered, or there
is some other devilry in the game, which is still strange enough."

The courier, a rather elderly man, was raised from his horse, his
dispatches had already been taken from him. "Who are you?" asked
Cavalier. "Ah your excellency," stammered the embarrassed man, "Now I
am, indeed, nothing but an insignificant ambassador, formerly a surgeon
in the royal guards."

"Your Name?"

"Dubois, by your leave."

When he announced himself as surgeon, he was commanded to bind up the
wounds of Ravanel and several of the other brethren. Cavalier and
Roland discovered from the papers the position of the royal troops, and
it was decided to anticipate the attack. As they intended to dispatch a
trusty person to reconnoitre the country, Edmond stepped forward and
said: "As yet I have not been able to do any thing for you, my dearest
brethren, intrust this commission to me." It was granted to him, and he
retired to dress according to his own ideas, in a manner befitting his
design; Lacoste, who would never separate from him, now pressed forward
again as his companion. As soon as they had discussed and ordered every
thing, Cavali