ble. All this he uttered impetuously, at
times incoherently, but as he concluded, she only clasped her hands
helplessly, solely conscious of the uproar below which spread from the
main hall to the adjoining rooms.

"They are coming--they are coming!" she said, and Mauville stopped
short.

But while anger and resentment were at strife within him, some one
tried the door of the chamber and finding it locked, set up a shout.
Immediately the prowlers in the wings, the searchers in the kitchen
and all the stragglers below congregated in the main hall; footsteps
were heard ascending rapidly, pausing in doubt at the head of the
stairway, not knowing whether to turn to the right or to the left.

"Here they are!" called out the man at the door.

"You meddlesome fool!" exclaimed Mauville, lifting a revolver and
discharging it in the direction of the voice. Evidently the bullet,
passing through the panel of the door, found its mark, for the report
was followed by a cry of pain.

This plaint was answered from the distance and soon a number of
anti-renters hastened to the spot. Mauville, in vicious humor, moved
toward the threshold. One of the panels was already broken and an arm
thrust into the opening. The land baron bent forward and coolly
clapped his weapon to the member, the loud discharge being succeeded
by a howl from the wounded lease-holder. Mauville again raised his
weapon when an exclamation from the actress caused him to turn
quickly, in time to see a figure spring unexpectedly into the room
from the balcony. The land baron stood in amazement, eying the
intruder who had appeared so suddenly from an unguarded quarter, but
before he could recover his self-possession, his hand was struck
heavily and the revolver fell with a clatter to the floor.

His assailant quickly grasped the weapon, presenting it to the breast
of the surprised land-owner, who looked, not into the face of an
unknown anti-renter, but into the stern, familiar countenance of
Saint-Prosper.

CHAPTER XV

A HASTY EXIT

The afternoon following the soldier's departure from the patroon
village went by all too slowly, his jaded horse's feet as heavy as the
leaden moments. That he had not long since overtaken the coach was
inexplicable, unless Susan had been a most tardy messenger. True, at
the fork of the road he had been misled, but should before this have
regained what he had lost, unless he was once more on the wrong
thoroughfare. As night