, more callous
than his comrades, but to Marguerite the laugh had a strange, familiar
ring in it, the echo of something long since past and gone.

Then Chauvelin's voice once more came clearly to her ear:

"My suggestion, citizen," he was saying, "is that the prisoner shall now
give me an order--couched in whatever terms he may think necessary--but
a distinct order to his friends to give up Capet to me without any
resistance. I could then take some of the men with me, and ride as
quickly as the light will allow up to the chateau, and take possession
of it, of Capet, and of those who are with him. We could get along
faster thus. One man can give up his horse to me and continue the
journey on the box of your coach. The two carriages could then follow at
foot pace. But I fear that if we stick together complete darkness
will overtake us and we might find ourselves obliged to pass a very
uncomfortable night in this wood."

"I won't spend another night in this suspense--it would kill me,"
growled Heron to the accompaniment of one of his choicest oaths. "You
must do as you think right--you planned the whole of this affair--see to
it that it works out well in the end."

"How many men shall I take with me? Our advance guard is here, of
course."

"I couldn't spare you more than four more men--I shall want the others
to guard the prisoners."

"Four men will be quite sufficient, with the four of the advance guard.
That will leave you twelve men for guarding your prisoners, and you
really only need to guard the woman--her life will answer for the
others."

He had raised his voice when he said this, obviously intending that
Marguerite and Armand should hear.

"Then I'll ahead," he continued, apparently in answer to an assent
from his colleague. "Sir Percy, will you be so kind as to scribble the
necessary words on these tablets?"

There was a long pause, during which Marguerite heard plainly the long
and dismal cry of a night bird that, mayhap, was seeking its mate. Then
Chauvelin's voice was raised again.

"I thank you," he said; "this certainly should be quite effectual. And
now, citizen Heron, I do not think that under the circumstances we need
fear an ambuscade or any kind of trickery--you hold the hostages. And
if by any chance I and my men are attacked, or if we encounter armed
resistance at the chateau, I will despatch a rider back straightway to
you, and--well, you will know what to do."

His voice died away, me