settled again into unbroken silence.

The child's heart beat quickly. She hated, feared, the shadows and the
quiet.

Yet she must go forward; she dare not call aloud, and she must find de
Marigny, if, indeed, he was still there.

She groped her way to the broad stone stairs. How dark it was! She
glanced up fearfully. Surely something up above her in the shadow on the
stairway moved. She shrank back.

"Coward! little coward!" she muttered. And to scare away her fear she
began to sing softly, very softly, a tender little song de Marigny
himself had taught to her.

"Stay thy hand, man! It is Rosette!" cried a voice from above her,
shattering the silence. And the shadow that had moved before moved
again, and a man from crouching on the step rose suddenly in front of
her.

"Why did you not speak? I thought we were like to be discovered, and I
had nearly killed you. Curse this dark!"

"Hush!" whispered Rosette. "Hush! you are betrayed! The soldiers are
coming. Oh, Papa de Marigny," she murmured, as he came down the
stairway, "they are to be here at dusk. Is it too late? I tried to get
here sooner, but--it was such a long road!" she ended, with a sob.

De Marigny gathered her in his arms. "And such a little traveller! Never
mind, sweetheart, we will cheat them yet," he said tenderly. "Warn the
others, Lacroix!"

[Sidenote: Flight]

But Lacroix had done that already. The house was full now of stealthy
sounds and moving shadows descending the great staircase. De Marigny,
carrying Rosette, led the way across the garden behind the house,
towards the river that cut the countryside in half. The stillness of the
night was broken suddenly by the neighing of a not far distant horse.

"The soldiers! the rebels, papa!" cried Rosette.

De Marigny whispered softly to one of his companions, who ran swiftly
away from him, and busied himself drawing from its hiding-place a small
boat. They could hear the tramp of horses now, near, very near, and yet
the men seated silent in the boat held tightly to the bank.

Hark! The thud, thud of running footsteps came to Rosette, nearer,
nearer, and the man for whom they waited sprang from the bank into their
midst.

A moment later they were caught by the swift current and carried out
into the centre of the broad river.

"Now, if my plan does not miscarry, we are safe!" cried de Marigny
exultantly.

"But, papa, dear one, they will follow us across the river and stop our
landing!" cri