near the window," Isabelle answered, "nor even look
towards it, however much I may wish to. You may depend upon my
discretion, Chiquita, I do assure you."

Reassured upon this important point, Chiquita crept softly away, and
went back to the lower room where she had left the ruffians carousing.
They were still there--lying about on the benches and the floor, in a
drunken sleep, and evidently had not even missed her. She curled herself
up in a corner, as far as might be from the loathsome brutes, and was
asleep in a minute. The poor child was completely tired out; her slender
little feet had travelled eight leagues the night before, running a good
part of the way, and the return on horseback had perhaps fatigued her
even more, being unaccustomed to it. Although her fragile little body
had the strength and endurance of steel, she was worn out now, and lay,
pale and motionless, in a sleep that seemed like death.

"Dear me! how these children do sleep to be sure," said Malartic,
when he roused himself at last and looked about him. "In spite of our
carouse, and all the noise we made, that little monkey in the corner
there has never waked nor stirred. Halloa! wake up you fellows! drunken
beasts that you are. Try to stand up on your hind legs, and go out in
the court and dash a bucket of cold water over your cursed heads. The
Circe of drunkenness has made swine of you in earnest--go and see if the
baptism I recommend will turn you back into men, and then we'll take a
little look round the place, to make sure there's no plot hatching to
rescue the little beauty we have in charge."

The men scrambled to their feet slowly and with difficulty, and
staggered out into the court as best they might, where the fresh air,
and the treatment prescribed by Malartic, did a good deal towards
reviving them; but they were a sorry looking set after all, and there
were many aching heads among them. As soon as they were fit for it,
Malartic took three of the least tipsy of them, and leading the way to a
small postern that opened on the moat, unchained a row-boat lying there,
crossed the broad ditch, ascended a steep flight of steps leading up
the bank on the other side, and, leaving one man to guard the boat,
proceeded to make a tour of inspection in the immediate vicinity of the
chateau; fortunately without stumbling on the party concealed in the
wood, or seeing anything to arouse their suspicions; so they returned to
their quarters perfectly