nutes, to take Madame Ange to La Mariniere. If
the General insists on my going off to Sonnay, this will not be a place
for ladies. Perhaps, Marie, you had better go with them. The police will
try to insist on searching the house. I will not have it searched,
without a warrant from Monsieur le Prefet. You four men, I leave it in
your care. Defend the house, as you know I should defend it."

Tobie chuckled. "Spoil their beauty, eh!" and went on loading his gun.
Old Joubard's face had lengthened slightly. "Anything within the law,"
he muttered. "But I am not a Chouan, dear little monsieur, nor is
Martin--no!"

"Chouan or not, you are my friends, all of you," said Monsieur Joseph;
and he turned and left them.

He went back to his room, wrote a short letter to his brother Urbain,
and left it on the table. Then he took his sword, crossed himself, and
went out into the slowly lightening day.

Ratoneau was waiting for him under the trees, just out of sight of the
house, and they were practically alone. A groom held the General's horse
at some little distance; Simon waited in the background, skulking behind
the trees, and the other men were watching the house from various
points. The road which passed Les Chouettes on the north crept on
westward, and skirted that same wood of tall oaks, chestnuts, and firs
where Monsieur Joseph's Chouan friends had been hidden from the Prefect
and the General. The wood, with little undergrowth, but thickly carpeted
with dead leaves, sloped down to the south; on its highest edge a line
of old oaks, hollow and enormous, stood like grim sentinels. It was
under one of these, hidden from the house by a corner of the wood, that
Monsieur Joseph met the General.

Ratoneau was considerably cooler than when he had left Lancilly. His
manner was less violent, but even more insolent than usual. He looked at
his watch as Monsieur Joseph came up, walking over the rough grass with
the light step of a boy.

"What do you mean, monsieur, by keeping an Imperial officer waiting?" he
said. "Ten minutes? I have been standing here twenty, and you had no
right to ask for one. You forget who you are, monsieur, and who I am."

"Kindly enlighten me on these points, Monsieur le General," said
Monsieur Joseph, smiling cheerfully.

"I will enlighten you so far--that you are twice a traitor, and the
worst of a whole band of traitors."

"Et puis, monsieur? Once--it is possible from your point of view, but
how twice?"