ry, Gaubertin, and Sarcus the rich, unfit
for military service, on account of a pretended weakness in the muscles
of the right arm; but as Jean-Louis had since wielded instruments of
husbandry with remarkable force and skill, a good deal of talk on the
subject had gone through the district. Soudry, Rigou, and Gaubertin, who
were the special protectors of the family, had warned Tonsard that he
must not expect to save Nicolas, who was tall and vigorous, from being
recruited if he drew a fatal number. Nevertheless Gaubertin and Rigou
were so well aware of the importance of conciliating bold men able and
willing to do mischief, if properly directed against Les Aigues, that
Rigou held out certain hopes of safety to Tonsard and his son. The late
monk was occasionally visited by Catherine Tonsard who was very devoted
to her brother Nicolas; on one such occasion Rigou advised her to appeal
to the general and the countess.

"They may be glad to do you this service to cajole you; in that case,
it is just so much gained from the enemy," he said. "If the Shopman
refuses, then we shall see what we shall see."

Rigou foresaw that the general's refusal would pass as one wrong the
more done by the land-owner to the peasantry, and would bind Tonsard by
an additional motive of gratitude to the coalition, in case the crafty
mind of the innkeeper could suggest to him some plausible way of
liberating Nicolas.

Nicolas, who was soon to appear before the examining board, had little
hope of the general's intervention because of the harm done to Les
Aigues by all the members of the Tonsard family. His passion, or to
speak more correctly, his caprice and obstinate pursuit of La Pechina,
were so aggravated by the prospect of his immediate departure, which
left him no time to seduce her, that he resolved on attempting violence.
The child's contempt for her prosecutor, plainly shown, excited the
Lovelace of the Grand-I-Vert to a hatred whose fury was equalled only
by his desires. For the last three days he had been watching La Pechina,
and the poor child knew she was watched. Between Nicolas and his prey
the same sort of understanding existed which there is between the
hunter and the game. When the girl was at some little distance from the
pavilion she saw Nicolas in one of the paths which ran parallel to the
walls of the park, leading to the bridge of the Avonne. She could easily
have escaped the man's pursuit had she appealed to her grandfather