FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  
nts. He knew what they meant, he knew that in a twinkling he must be discovered; and with a last prayer he gathered himself for a spring. It seemed an age before the intruder's head appeared on a level with the hay; and then the alarm came from another quarter. The hen which had made its nest at Tignonville's feet, disturbed by the movement or by the newcomer's hand, flew out with a rush and flutter as of a great firework. Upsetting the startled Simon, who slipped swearing to the ground, it swooped scolding and clucking over the heads of the other men, and reaching the street in safety, scuttled off at speed, its outspread wings sweeping the earth in its rage. They laughed uproariously as Simon emerged, rubbing his elbow. "There's for you! There's your preacher!" his opponent jeered. "D---n her! she gives tongue as fast as any of them!" gibed a second. "Will you try again, Simon? You may find another love-letter there!" "Have done!" a third cried impatiently. "He'll not be where the hen is! Let's back! Let's back! I said before that it wasn't this way he turned! He's made for the river." "The plague in his vitals!" Simon replied furiously. "Wherever he is, I'll find him!" And, reluctant to confess himself wrong, he lingered, casting vengeful glances at the hay. But one of the other men cursed him for a fool; and presently, forced to accept his defeat or be left alone, he rejoined his fellows. Slowly the footsteps and voices receded along the lane; slowly, until silence swallowed them, and on the quivering strained senses of the two who remained behind, descended the gentle influence of twilight and the sweet scent of the new-mown hay on which they lay. La Tribe turned to his companion, his eyes shining. "Our soul is escaped," he murmured, "even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler. The snare is broken and we are delivered!" His voice shook as he whispered the ancient words of triumph. But when they came to look in the nest at Tignonville's feet there was no egg! CHAPTER IX. UNSTABLE. And that troubled M. la Tribe no little, although he did not impart his thoughts to his companion. Instead they talked in whispers of the things which had happened; of the Admiral, of Teligny, whom all loved, of Rochefoucauld the accomplished, the King's friend; of the princes in the Louvre whom they gave up for lost, and of the Huguenot nobles on the farther side of the river, of whose safet
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

companion

 

Tignonville

 

turned

 

accept

 

twilight

 

gentle

 

descended

 
influence
 

cursed

 

shining


presently

 

forced

 

footsteps

 

slowly

 

Slowly

 

voices

 
receded
 

silence

 

swallowed

 

defeat


senses

 

rejoined

 

quivering

 

fellows

 

strained

 

remained

 
Teligny
 

Admiral

 

Rochefoucauld

 

happened


things

 

thoughts

 

impart

 

Instead

 

talked

 

whispers

 

accomplished

 

farther

 
nobles
 

Huguenot


princes
 
friend
 

Louvre

 
delivered
 

broken

 
murmured
 

escaped

 

fowler

 

whispered

 

ancient