n's coat that I had worn. He only babbled nonsense to my questioning,
and, after calling aloud to Babette and getting no reply, I started for
the Intendance.

I had scarcely left the house when I saw some French peasants coming
towards me with a litter. A woman, walking behind the litter, carried a
lantern, and one of our soldiers of artillery attended and directed. I
ran forward, and discovered Voban, mortally hurt. The woman gave a cry,
and spoke my name in a kind of surprise and relief; and the soldier,
recognizing me, saluted. I sent him for a surgeon, and came on with
the hurt man to the little house. Soon I was alone with him save for
Babette, and her I sent for a priest. As soon as I had seen Voban I
guessed what had happened: he had tried for his revenge at last. After a
little time he knew me, but at first he could not speak.

"What has happened--the Palace?" said I.

He nodded.

"You blew it up--with Bigot?" I asked.

His reply was a whisper, and his face twitched with pain: "Not--with
Bigot."

I gave him some cordial, which he was inclined to refuse. It revived
him, but I saw he could live only a few hours. Presently he made an
effort. "I will tell you," he whispered.

"Tell me first of my wife," said I. "Is she alive?--is she alive?"

If a smile could have been upon his lips then, I saw one there--good
Voban! I put my ear down, and my heart almost stopped beating, until I
heard him say, "Find Mathilde."

"Where?" asked I.

"In the Valdoche Hills," he answered, "where the Gray Monk lives--by the
Tall Calvary."

He gasped with pain. I let him rest awhile, and eased the bandages on
him, and at last he told his story:

"I am to be gone soon. For two years I have wait for the good time to
kill him--Bigot--to send him and his palace to hell. I can not tell you
how I work to do it. It is no matter--no. From an old cellar I mine, and
at last I get the powder lay beneath him--his palace. So. But he does
not come to the Palace much this many months, and Madame Cournal is
always with him, and it is hard to do the thing in other ways. But I
laugh when the English come in the town, and when I see Bigot fly to his
palace alone to get his treasure-chest I think it is my time. So I
ask the valet, and he say he is in the private room that lead to the
treasure-place. Then I come back quick to the secret spot and fire my
mine. In ten minutes all will be done. I go at once to his room again,
alone. I pass thro