Your servant ever,

"COLLOT D'ARNIOL."

The name was that of the chief mover of the late conspiracy, who had
paid the penalty of his treason without betraying his accomplices. If
this was indeed his signature, with which the authorities were certainly
acquainted, the scrap of paper, were I free to carry it to Paris, would
put the life of the Count de Lavardin in my hands.

To be possessed of such a weapon--such a means of rescuing the Countess
from her fearful situation--and yet lack freedom wherein to use it, was
too vexing for endurance. I resolved, rather than wait inactively for
death with that weapon useless, to employ the most reckless means of
escape. Meanwhile I pocketed the fragment of letter, and thrust the
other papers back into the chest, which I then pushed to its former
place.

After thinking awhile, I poured the water from the heavy earthen jug
into the basin. I then sat down on the large chest, leaning forward,
elbows upon knees, my head upon my hands, the empty jug beside me as if
I had lazily left it there after drinking from it. In this attitude I
waited through a great part of the afternoon, until I began to wonder if
the Count was not going to send me any more food that day.

At last, when the sun was low, I heard my lock turned, the door opened
into the room, and one of my new guards entered with a trencher of bread
and cold meat. With the corner of my eye, I saw that nobody was
immediately outside my door; so I assumed that my other guard, if there
were still two, was stationed at the foot of the short flight of stairs
leading to my room. The man with the food, having cast a look at me as I
sat in my listless attitude, passed me in order to put the trencher on
the other chest, which was further from the door.

The instant his back was toward me, I silently grasped the earthen jug,
sprang after him, and brought the jug down upon the back of his head
with all my strength while he was leaning forward to place the trencher.
He staggered forward. I gave him a second blow, and he sprawled upon the
chest, which stopped his fall.

I ran to the open door, pushed it almost shut, and waited behind it, the
jug raised in both hands. My blows and the guard's fall had not been
without noise.

"Hola! what's that?" cried somebody outside and a little below. I gave
no answer, and presently I heard steps rapidly mounting to my door. Then
the door was lightly pushed, but I stopped it; whereupon the hea