orm of the burgher guard; M. de Belin, having bagged
the wrong bird once, had now caught the right one.

The captain bade one of the fellows go call the others off; I could
guess that the job had been done thoroughly, every approach to the house
guarded. I gnashed my teeth over the gag, that I had not suspected the
danger. The truth was, both of us had our heads so full of mademoiselle,
of Mayenne, and of Lucas, that we had forgotten the governor and his
preposterous warrant.

They led us into the Rue de l'Eveque, where was waiting the same black
coach that had stood before the Oie d'Or, the same Louis on the box. Its
lamps were lighted; by their glimmer our captors for the first time saw
us fairly.

"Why, captain," cried the man at M. Etienne's elbow, "this is no Comte
de Mar! The Comte de Mar is fair-haired; I've seen him scores of times."

"The Comte de Mar answers to the name of Etienne, and so does this
fellow," the captain answered. He took the candle from one of the lamps
and held it in M. Etienne's face. Then he put out a sudden hand, and
pulled the wig off.

"Good for you, captain!" cried the men. We were indeed unfortunate to
encounter an officer with brains.

"We'll take your gag off too, M. le Comte, in the coach," the captain
told him.

"Will you bring the lass along, captain?"

"Not exactly," the leader laughed. "A fine prison it would be, could a
felon have his bonnibel at his side. No, I'll leave the maid; but she
needn't give the alarm yet. Do you stay awhile with her, L'Estrange;
you'll not mind the job. Keep her a quarter of an hour, and then let her
go her ways."

They bundled my lord into the coach, box and all, the captain and two
men with him. The fourth clambered up beside Louis as he cracked his
whip and rattled smartly down the street.

My guardian stole a loving arm around my waist and marched me down the
quiet lane between the garden walls. He was clutching my right wrist,
but my left hand was free, and I fumbled at my gag. In the middle of the
deserted lane he halted.

"Now, my beauty, if you'll be good I'll take that stopper off. But if
you make a scream, by Heaven, it'll be your last!"

I shook my head and squeezed his hand imploringly, while he, holding me
tight in one sinewy arm, plucked left-handedly at the knot. I waited,
meek as Griselda, till the gag was off, and then I let him have it.
Volleying curses, I hammered him square in the eye.

It was a mad course, for he