two men to bring him
into Moulins, and I trust they will find that he is only wounded."

"My daughter saw you cut down that villain with a terrible blow.
We have not seen him since, but we know that he was carried on a
horse litter behind the carriage."

"At any rate, he will trouble you no more, Baron. My man shot him
through the head, just as he was riding to attack me from behind."

"Thank God! We are saved from further persecutions! And now, tell
me how you came to be here."

"It was simple enough, Baron. I found twelve men, with Monsieur de
la Vallee's intendant, at Roanne. Philip, who feared that the
vicomte would endeavour to make a further effort to repair his
fortune, by carrying your daughter off on the road, sent a
messenger to his intendant to ride at once, with twelve men, to
meet us; and, had all gone well, they would have joined us fully
two days' journey north of Nevers. The messenger was attacked on
the way, robbed of his letter and purse, and left for dead. He
managed to crawl to Nevers, and there, being too weak and ill to
sit a horse, he hired a peasant's cart and made the journey,
slowly and painfully, to la Vallee. As he knew the purport of the
letter, two hours after his arrival there the intendant started,
and rode, without drawing bridle, to Roanne. There, by great good
fortune, I found them, though men and horses were alike done up.
Knowing, however, that the vicomte, in his wounded state, and
embarrassed with the coach, could proceed but slowly, I let them
have seven hours' sleep, and in the meantime hired fresh horses
for them; and we rode that day to Aubusson, and this morning moved
down to within five miles of Felletin. I left a man on the road to
Pont Gibaut, and he brought us word that you had left the main
road, and were travelling through Croc, so we moved at once to
intercept you; and you know the rest."

Chapter 7: In Paris Again.

"You have indeed done well, Monsieur Kennedy," the baron said,
when Desmond finished his story.

"Now, let us see to my daughter. Her maid is attending on her. She
fainted when the fight began. She is not of a fainting sort, but
the trials of the last few weeks, and her belief that de la Vallee
was killed, have very much upset her."

"No wonder," Desmond said. "It must have been terrible, indeed, to
lose her lover, and to know that she was again in the power of
that villain.

"And you, Baron; how did you escape the fate that befell the r