creeping stealthily by, making futile efforts
to stifle the noise of his creaking boots. His suspicions now thoroughly
aroused, de Sigognac continued his watch, and in about half an hour came
yet another--a fierce, villainous looking fellow, and fully armed, as
every one of his predecessors had been also. This strange proceeding
seemed very extraordinary and menacing to the baron, and the number
of the men--four--brought to his mind the night attack upon him in the
streets of Poitiers, after his quarrel with the Duke of Vallombreuse.
This recollection was like a ray of light, and it instantly flashed upon
him that the man he had seen in the kitchen was no other than one of
those precious rascals, who had been routed so ignominiously--and these,
without doubt, were his comrades. But how came they there? in the very
house with him--not by chance surely. They must have followed him up to
Paris, stage by stage, in disguise, or else keeping studiously out of
his sight, Evidently the young duke's animosity was still active, as
well as his passion, and he had not renounced his designs upon either
Isabelle or himself. Our hero was very brave by nature, and did not feel
the least anxiety about his own safety trusting to his good sword to
defend himself against his enemies--but he was very uneasy in regard to
his sweet Isabelle, and dreaded inexpressibly what might be attempted
to gain possession of her. Not knowing which one of them the four
desperadoes had in view now, he determined not to relax his vigilance
an instant, and to take such precautions as he felt pretty sure would
circumvent their plans, whatever they might be. He lighted all the
candles there were in his room--a goodly number--and opened his door,
so that they threw a flood of light on that of Isabelle's chamber, which
was exactly opposite his own. Next he drew his sword, laid it, with his
dagger, on a table he had drawn out in front of the door, and then
sat down beside it, facing the corridor, to watch. He waited some time
without hearing or seeing anything. Two o'clock had rung out from a
neighbouring church tower when a slight rustling caught his listening
ear, and presently one of the four rascals--the very man he had first
seen--emerged from the shadow into the bright light streaming out into
the passage from his open door. The baron had sprung to his feet at the
first sound, and stood erect on the threshold, sword in hand, with
such a lofty, heroic, and tri