and our prince. To the gallows say I, with all who demand of
us six thousand pairs of boots! Your poor humble servant!"

Vertessy could not forbear from quietly smiling at this discreet
coat-turning rhetoric. With his drawn sword he motioned to his soldiers
to lower their weapons, and return to the barracks, simply leaving the
usual sentries at their posts.

The noisy assembly then gave one long cheer for the General, and after
threatening every sort of distant object with their sticks and clenched
fists, tumultously dispersed.

Kamienszka, after the odd dispersal of the rioters, trotted alongside
the General into the courtyard of the barracks, where they both
dismounted and hastened into the waiting room. Each of them had
something urgent to say to the other which could not be expressed in
public.

"Sir," the General hastened to say, he was determined to have the first
word--"whoever you are, you have rendered me a very important service
which I hope to be able to repay."

"I come from the midst of danger, General," replied the heroic lady very
quickly, like one anxious to economize his moments and count his words;
"a dangerous rebellion has broken out in the midst of the county, and by
mere accident I have got the leading strings of it in my hands. For a
moment, however, I ran the risk of being strung up myself. The
visitation of this strange epidemic has afforded a band of desperate
fanatics with the opportunity of accomplishing a long-cherished design.
Here is the proclamation which in a few days will fly over the whole
realm."

The General read through the document handed to him with the utmost
astonishment.

"Love of loot, revenge, popular stupidity, will be powerful allies in
such a frantic enterprise, which, if it but gain the upper hand, will,
in a few weeks, change the whole appearance of the map of Europe. At
present the flame is but a tiny one. It has only burst forth in a few
villages. To-night they are going to attack the Castle of Hetfalu. That
will be the beginning of it."

The General's face quivered. So the words of the condemned man had been
true!

"There they will murder both master and servants. Murdered they must be
in order that the participators in the outbreak may find retreat
impossible. This will be the beginning of a desperate struggle."

The General rang a bell. He whispered a few words in the ear of the
adjutant who answered the summons, and then sat down and began writing
ver