ke the place unless they were
well provided with cannon."

The chateau, indeed, still retained the characteristics of a castle. The
site had evidently been selected with a sole eye to defence; the hill
on which it stood fell abruptly away on three sides, and could hardly
be attacked except in front. Here a plateau extended some three or four
hundred yards long and upwards of a hundred yards across. A wall with
flanking turrets had been a sufficient defence on the other three sides,
but here there was a strong tower on each flank, and also on each side
of the central gate. The walls inclosed a space of some two acres,
in the centre of which stood the castle. This had been to some extent
modernized--windows having taken the place of loopholes in the upper
floors, while those looking into the inner courtyard extended to the
ground. The point where the road reached the plateau was some three
hundred yards from the gateway, and as Hector galloped towards the walls
it was evident that he was recognized, for shouts were raised by the men
on guard and the drawbridge over the fosse--cut in the solid rock along
the foot of the wall--was lowered.

As he rode across it the gate swung open and MacIntosh ran out to meet
him.

"Is all well, old friend?" Hector asked as he sprang from his horse and
clasped the sergeant's hand.

"All is well so far, colonel; still, I am glad indeed that you have
returned, for at any moment trouble may begin. We hear that the peasants
mean to attack us. I hardly think they will venture to do so, but I
have no doubt they will play havoc on the estate and burn every house,
because the tenants, instead of joining them, have come up here to aid
in the defence. It was a good day indeed when madam and her daughter
came here, they have made themselves so loved by the tenants that they
would do anything for them. Ah, if all the ladies of France had been
as good to their people as they have been, we should not have these
troubles on hand! Here they come to welcome you."

Hector hurried across the outer court, where two lines of palings had
been erected, forming a passage from one gate to the other, and keeping
back the animals that crowded the enclosure.

"Welcome back, welcome back, Colonel Campbell!" the baroness said as
she came up with both hands extended, and her words were echoed by her
daughter. In the year that had elapsed since they started under the
charge of Paolo both had changed. The look of c