starlit, though the moon would come later. We hoped to be
away from the chateau before it rose. There was a gentle breeze, which
we rather welcomed as likely to cover what little noise we might make.

Leaving our horses tied in the forest, and taking the cross-bow and
other things, we stole along the moat skirting the Western wall, till we
were opposite the great tower. It rose toward the sky, sheer from the
black water that separated us from it by so few yards. We gazed upward,
and I pointed out the window which I thought, from its situation, must
be that of the Countess, if she still occupied her former prison.

Our first plan depended upon her still occupying that prison, or some
other with an unbarred window in that side of the tower; and upon her
being still accompanied by Mathilde.

If the man on top of the tower were to look down now, thought I! We had
considered that chance. It was not likely he would come to the edge of
the tower and look straight down. His business apparently was to watch
the road at a distance and in both directions. He could do this best
from the Northeastern part of the tower. From what I knew now, I could
guess why the Count had stationed him there: a conspirator never knows
when he is safe from belated detection and a visit of royal guards. This
accounted also, perhaps as much as the Count's jealousy, for his
inhospitality to strangers, and for the half-military character of his
household.

Hugues uttered a bird-call, which had been one of his signals to
Mathilde in their meetings. We waited, looking up and wishing the night
were blacker. He repeated the cry.

Something faintly whitish appeared in the dark slit which I had taken to
be the Countess's window. It was a face.

"Mathilde," whispered Hugues to me.

Keeping his gaze upon her, he held up the cross-bow for her notice; then
the bolt, to which we had attached the slender cord. Next, before
adjusting the bolt, he aimed the unbent bow at her window: this was to
indicate what he was about to do. Then he lowered the bow, and looked at
her without further motion, awaiting some sign of understanding from
her. She nodded her head emphatically, and drew it in.

Hugues fitted the string and the bolt, raised the bow, and stood
motionless for I know not how many seconds; at last the string twanged;
the bolt sang through the air. It did not fall, nor strike stone, and
the cord remained suspended from above: the bolt had gone through the