orld--and besides, those who see me will never
go away from this to tell of it."

"But at least your lordship will place this second Helen in some safe
retreat. A stray bullet might so easily deprive your highness of the
prize that cost so dear--and it would be such a pity."

The duke, finding this advice judicious, went at once over to where
Isabelle was standing beside Chiquita, and throwing his arms round
her attempted to carry her into the next room. The poor girl made a
desperate resistance, and slipping from the duke's grasp rushed to the
window, regardless of danger, crying, "Save me, de Sigognac! save me!"
A voice from without answered, "I am coming," but, before he could reach
the window, Vallombreuse had again seized his prey, and succeeded in
carrying her into the adjoining room, closing and bolting the stout
oaken door behind him just as de Sigognac bounded into the chamber he
had quitted. His entrance was so sudden, and so swiftly and boldly made,
that he entirely escaped the pistol shots aimed at him, and the four
bullets all fell harmless. When the smoke had cleared away and the
"garrison" saw that he was unhurt, a murmur of astonishment arose, and
one of the men exclaimed aloud that Captain Fracasse--the only name
by which THEY knew him--must bear a charmed life; whereupon, Malartic
cried, "Leave him to me, I'll soon finish him, and do you three keep
a strict guard over the window there; for there will be more to follow
this one if I am not mistaken."

But he did not find his self-imposed task as easy as he supposed--for
de Sigognac was ready for him, and gave him plenty to do, though
his surprise and disappointment were overwhelming when he found that
Isabelle was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" he cried impetuously. "Where is Isabelle? I heard her
voice in here only a moment ago."

"Don't ask me!" Malartic retorted. "YOU didn't give her into my charge."
And all this time their swords were flashing and clashing, as the combat
between them grew more animated.

A moment later, before the men had finished reloading their pistols,
Scapin dashed in through the window, throwing a remarkable somersault
like an acrobat as he came, and seeing that the three ruffians had laid
down their swords beside them on the floor while attending to their
other weapons, he seized upon them all, ere their owners had recovered
from their astonishment at his extraordinary advent, and hurled them
through the broken ca