?' said the old woman with a certain satisfaction in his
disappointment; 'is our Lady of Hope to be coming down among you gay
gallants?'

'But who is this Lady of Hope?' demanded he.

'Who should she be but our good pastor's daughter? Ah! and a brave, good
daughter she was too, abiding the siege because his breath was so bad
that he could not be moved.'

'What was his name?' asked Berenger, attracted strangely by what he
heard.

'Ribault, Monsieur--Pasteur Ribault. Ah! a good man, and sound preacher,
when preach he could; but when he could not, his very presence kept the
monks' REVENANTS from vexing us--as a cat keeps mice away; and, ah! The
children have been changed creatures since Madame dealt with them. What!
Monsieur would know why they call her our Lady of Hope? Esperance is
her true name; and, moreover, in the former days this abbey had an image
that they called Notre-Dame de l'Esperance, and the poor deceived folk
thought it did great miracles. And so, when she came hither, and wrought
such cures, and brought blessing wherever she went, it became a saying
among us that at length we had our true Lady of Hope.

A more urgent summons here forced Berenger away, and his repetition of
the same question received much the same answer from deaf old Captain
Falconnet. He was obliged to repair to his post with merely a piece of
bread in his hand; abut, though vigilance was needful, the day bade fair
to be far less actively occupied than its predecessor: the enemy were
either disposed to turn the siege into a blockade, or were awaiting
reinforcements and heavier artillery; and there were only a few
desultory attacks in the early part of the morning. About an hour before
noon, however, the besiegers seemed to be drawing out in arms, as if to
receive some person of rank, and at the same time sounds were heard
on the hills to the eastward, as if troops were on the march. Berenger
having just been told by the old sergeant that probably all would be
quiet for some time longer, and been almost laughed at by the veteran
for consulting him whether it would be permissible for him to be absent
a few minutes to visit his brother, was setting out across the bridge
for the purpose, his eyes in the direction of the rampart, which
followed the curve of the river. The paths which--as has been said--the
feet of the washerwomen and drawers of water had worn away in quieter
times, had been smoothed and scarped away on the outer side, so