this? Not he!

The Marquis opens his eyes, he sees Fanfar in the darkness.

"You have saved me!" he murmured.

"Can you stand? Can you walk?" asked Fanfar.

The Marquis struggled to his feet, but uttered a cry of pain.

"Are you hurt?"

"I think not, but I seem to have no strength left."

"Wait!" said Fanfar.

He went to the side of the rock, and examined it with his lantern. He
uttered a joyous exclamation.

"Most men," he said to himself, "would find this rock impracticable, but
Fanfar can do it."

He returned to the Marquis.

"Put your arms about my neck," he said, "and trust to me."

The Marquis obeyed, and Fanfar, weighed down again by this burthen,
climbed the path heretofore trodden only by goats. They reached the top
in safety, there they found Irene's horse.

"I am going to take you on the saddle with me," he said to the Marquis.
"I had been to a neighboring village for a physician, and returning I am
only too thankful that accident brought me in this direction."

He assisted the Marquis to the saddle, and that his hands might be free
requested the Marquis to hold the lantern.

He did so, and, with instinctive curiosity, flashed the light into the
face of his preserver. He started back, for he saw before him the living
image of the old Marquis de Fongereues. He must know the truth at any
price. He fought against his fatigue, and just as Fanfar was about to
leap into the saddle, the Marquis pressed the animal with his knee, and
the animal was off like the wind. Fanfar believed that the horse had ran
away.

"I hope he will get to the inn in safety," said Fanfar, anxiously. "I
must get back on foot, it seems!"

CHAPTER XX.

THIN PARTITIONS.

Gudel had been carried to his room, the innkeeper moaning over and over
again, "How could this have happened?"

La Roulante established herself by the sick bed. She was livid with
fear. The attempt had been a failure, and Bobichel had guessed it!

The persistent questions of Schwann made her very uneasy. Caillette said
the same thing. She hardly knew what had happened; she only knew that
her father had been injured.

Bobichel came in.

"The chain has been examined," he said, looking in La Roulante's face.

"What of that!" she cried. "Why do you meddle in what does not concern
you? Do you mean to say that any one meddled with the chain?"

"That is precisely what I mean!" answered Bobichel, forgetting all
caution.

La Roulante rushed at