ents, it will be prudent to secure it:
perhaps for Oswald alone, the magistrates would not use that zeal and
expedition which a word _of yours_ can command."

"Of mine?" said Gerald, "say rather of yours; you are the lord of these
broad lands!"

"Never, my dearest brother, shall they pass to me from their present
owner: but let us hasten now to execute justice; we will talk afterwards
of friendship."

I then sought Oswald, who, if a physical coward, was morally a ready,
bustling, and prompt man; and I felt that I could rely more upon him
than I could at that moment upon Gerald. I released him therefore of his
charge, and made Desmarais a close prisoner in the inner apartment of
the tower. I then gave Oswald the most earnest injunctions to procure
the assistance we might require, and to return with it as expeditiously
as possible; and cheered by the warmth and decision of his answer, I
saw him depart with Gerald, and felt my heart beat high with the
anticipation of midnight and retribution.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CATASTROPHE.

IT happened unfortunately that the mission to------was indispensable.
The slender accommodation of the tower forbade Gerald the use of his
customary attendants, and the neighbouring villagers were too few in
number, and too ill provided with weapons, to encounter men cradled in
the very lap of danger; moreover, it was requisite, above all things,
that no rumour or suspicion of our intended project should obtain wind,
and, by reaching Montreuil's ears, give him some safer opportunity
of escape. I had no doubt of the sincerity of the Fatalist's
communications, and if I had, the subsequent conversation I held with
him, when Gerald and Oswald were gone, would have been sufficient to
remove it. He was evidently deeply stung by the reflection of his own
treachery, and, singularly enough, with Montreuil seemed to perish all
his worldly hopes and aspirations. Desmarais, I found, was a man of much
higher ambition than I had imagined; and he had linked himself closely
to Montreuil, because, from the genius and the resolution of the priest,
he had drawn the most sanguine auguries of his future power. As the
night advanced, he grew visibly anxious; and, having fully satisfied
myself that I might count indisputably upon his intelligence, I once
more left him to his meditations, and, alone in the outer chamber, I
collected myself for the coming event. I had fully hoped that Montreuil
would have repaired