ollowers had left Paris.

Men were at once sent off to the different gates of the city, and one of
these returning with the news that the north gate had been opened at one
o'clock in the morning and that six men bearing a pass from the cardinal
had ridden out, a party of twenty horsemen started out in pursuit, while
others were ordered to ride by all the different routes to Poitou,
in case, as was likely enough, Hector had ridden to his castle. The
fugitive, however, and his followers were all well mounted, and had
fourteen hours' start. They separated at Le Mans. Hector here wrote a
long letter to the Baronne de Blenfoix, and a shorter one to MacIntosh.
The latter he told only that his fief had again reverted to the crown,
and gave instructions that the steward should be ordered to return, from
the moneys he had in hand, three months' rent to every tenant, to hand
the balance to MacIntosh himself, and to hold possession of the chateau
and estate until he received orders from the cardinal himself.

MacIntosh was then, with Paolo, two troopers, and his own two sergeants,
to escort the baroness and her daughter to Nantes, if she decided to
go there. All arrangements were to be completed within twelve hours
of Paolo's arrival there. To the baroness he related briefly what had
passed.

"Therefore, as you see," he said, "there is no course open for me but
to fly for England or Ireland, where I intend to settle. I trust, madam,
that you and your daughter will accompany me. Putting aside my respect
and, I may say, my affection for yourself, you will have understood from
what I said to you when last at la Villar, that I hope some day to make
your daughter Norah my wife, if I should be so fortunate as to obtain
her affections. How this may be I cannot say, but at any rate I trust
that you will return to England, and as I have ample funds you may be
assured that my first care will be to provide for your future."

On arriving at Nantes Hector at once rode to the governor, and presented
the cardinal's letter to him.

"You may be assured, Colonel Campbell, that I shall carry out his
eminence's instructions," he said, after perusing the cardinal's
letter. "I will send an officer down to the port with you to aid you
in obtaining passage, should there be a ship leaving for England, or to
take up a ship for your service."

"I would rather the latter," Hector said. "I may have ladies with me,
and so should wish to have plenty of ac