found him easy game.

But his successive defeats did service to the duke in one way--they
killed time for him till eight o'clock in the evening; then would come
night, and with night, sleep. So, at least, the duke believed; but sleep
is a capricious fairy, and it is precisely when one invokes her presence
that she is most likely to keep him waiting. The duke waited until
midnight, turning on his mattress like St. Laurence on his gridiron.
Finally he slept.

But at daybreak he awoke. Wild dreams had disturbed his repose. He
dreamed that he was endowed with wings--he wished to fly away. For a
time these wings supported him, but when he reached a certain height
this new aid failed him. His wings were broken and he seemed to sink
into a bottomless abyss, whence he awoke, bathed in perspiration and
nearly as much overcome as if he had really fallen. He fell asleep again
and another vision appeared. He was in a subterranean passage by
which he was to leave Vincennes. Grimaud was walking before him with
a lantern. By degrees the passage narrowed, yet the duke continued his
course. At last it became so narrow that the fugitive tried in vain to
proceed. The sides of the walls seem to close in, even to press
against him. He made fruitless efforts to go on; it was impossible.
Nevertheless, he still saw Grimaud with his lantern in front, advancing.
He wished to call out to him but could not utter a word. Then at the
other extremity he heard the footsteps of those who were pursuing him.
These steps came on, came fast. He was discovered; all hope of flight
was gone. Still the walls seemed to be closing on him; they appeared to
be in concert with his enemies. At last he heard the voice of La Ramee.
La Ramee took his hand and laughed aloud. He was captured again, and
conducted to the low and vaulted chamber, in which Ornano, Puylaurens,
and his uncle had died. Their three graves were there, rising above the
ground, and a fourth was also there, yawning for its ghastly tenant.

The duke was obliged to make as many efforts to awake as he had done
to go to sleep; and La Ramee found him so pale and fatigued that he
inquired whether he was ill.

"In fact," said one of the guards who had remained in the chamber and
had been kept awake by a toothache, brought on by the dampness of the
atmosphere, "my lord has had a very restless night and two or three
times, while dreaming, he called for help."

"What is the matter with your highness?" as