made full preparations, and
you know the rest. At first we thought our forester had fooled us, and
that the place we had come to was what it appeared, a solitary farmstead
in a clearing of the forest. But in such a case, it is always best to
make sure, and faith, that is what we did. So you see I chanced to find
you all the sooner for not having had time to look for you. But indeed
it was a timely meeting."

In about an hour after the time of starting, we came to a clear space,
in the midst of which was the tower we sought. We could see it by the
starlight before we drew near with our torches. We all dismounted, and
with a fast-beating heart, I found the door. It was still locked.
Listening at the key-hole, I could hear no sound. I called out, "Louis!"
thinking she would understand I had company to whom her sex need not be
known. I wished to warn her of our assault upon the door, so that she
might stay clear of danger thereby. But no answer came, though I called
several times. I was now in great fear lest she had died. My father, who
read my feelings in my face, suggested that she might have fallen into
very deep unconsciousness, and that the best thing to do was to break in
the door forthwith, as carefully as possible, trusting she might not be
where there was chance of anything striking. As the place where I had
left her lying was not opposite the door, and there was no reason to
suppose she had chosen another, I gave up the attempt to warn her, and
without further loss of time we made ready to attack the door. All the
men in the party, both guardsmen and prisoners, laid hold of the
tree-trunk, by means of halters and ropes fastened around it, my father
and I placing ourselves at the head. The commander of the guardsmen, who
was immediately behind me, called out the orders by which we moved in
unison. Starting from a short distance, we ran straight for the tower,
and swung the tree forward against the door at the moment of stopping. A
most violent shock was produced, but the lock and hinges still held. We
repeated this operation twice. Upon our third charge, the door flew
inward. Leaving the trunk to the others, I hastened into the dark, close
basement, and groped my way to where I had left the Countess.

"Madame!--Louis!" I called softly, feeling about in the darkness.

A weak voice answered,--a voice like that of one just wakened from
profound sleep:

"Henri, is it you?--Mon dieu, I am so glad!--I feared some ev