to a little above a whisper. He
gave his orders clearly and firmly, and the words came to Marguerite on
the wings of the wind with strange distinctness, borne to her ears by
the darkness itself, and the hush that lay over the wood.

"Take half a dozen men with you, sergeant," she beard him say, "and join
citizen Chauvelin at the chateau. You can stable your horses in the farm
buildings close by, as he suggests and run to him on foot. You and your
men should quickly get the best of a handful of midnight prowlers; you
are well armed and they only civilians. Tell citizen Chauvelin that I
in the meanwhile will take care of our prisoners. The Englishman I shall
put in irons and lock up inside the chapel, with five men under the
command of your corporal to guard him, the other two I will drive myself
straight to Crecy with what is left of the escort. You understand?"

"Yes, citizen."

"We may not reach Crecy until two hours after midnight, but directly
I arrive I will send citizen Chauvelin further reinforcements, which,
however, I hope may not necessary, but which will reach him in the early
morning. Even if he is seriously attacked, he can, with fourteen men he
will have with him, hold out inside the castle through the night. Tell
him also that at dawn two prisoners who will be with me will be shot in
the courtyard of the guard-house at Crecy, but that whether he has got
hold of Capet or not he had best pick up the Englishman in the chapel in
the morning and bring him straight to Crecy, where I shall be awaiting
him ready to return to Paris. You understand?"

"Yes, citizen."

"Then repeat what I said."

"I am to take six men with me to reinforce citizen Chauvelin now."

"Yes."

"And you, citizen, will drive straight back to Crecy, and will send
us further reinforcements from there, which will reach us in the early
morning."

"Yes."

"We are to hold the chateau against those unknown marauders if necessary
until the reinforcements come from Crecy. Having routed them, we return
here, pick up the Englishman whom you will have locked up in the
chapel under a strong guard commanded by Corporal Cassard, and join you
forthwith at Crecy."

"This, whether citizen Chauvelin has got hold of Capet or not."

"Yes, citizen, I understand," concluded the sergeant imperturbably; "and
I am also to tell citizen Chauvelin that the two prisoners will be shot
at dawn in the courtyard of the guard-house at Crecy."

"Yes. That is