so, mark; when morning
brings the daylight to the east, be ready. Meet me beyond these
grounds; when we will hasten to the village of Saint Laurent, and
there be married. The deed being thus achieved, none will oppose,
for before the irrevocable all rebuke is dumb."

"And so am I to this," was replied with dignity.

"Yet let me speak:" Montigny urged with desperate eagerness, "let
me persuade you, for to this pass it must come; then let it come
at once, since each day will cause the path thereunto to grow more
rugged. My father's storm of threats, my mother's deluge of tears,
will make the way impassable and past repair. You falter; your
silence speaks consent; you are convinced, and yield to the necessity
for this ungracious consummation. Good night. To-morrow early, meet
me at the church of Saint Laurent, all shall be ready,--pray offer
no remonstrance;--meet me there at ten,--the priest is my fast
friend;--nay, do not grieve, but say good night; to-morrow you
shall smile:--goodnight, good night;" and kissing his hand to her,
before she could reply, the impetuous lover reached the postern,
and, vaulting into the saddle, vanished.

Paralyzed with amazement and apprehension, Amanda stood motionless
and dumb. She would have called on Claude to return, but dare not,
lest she should alarm the slumbering inmates of the house, and she
was still standing irresolute and helpless, when something was
suddenly thrown over her face, shrouding her in darkness, and before
she could resist she was lifted from her feet, hurried across the
lawn in a diverse direction from that taken by Claude, and on
arriving on the road, swung into a lofty saddle. A huge arm from
some one seated behind received her, passing around her waist, and
feeling like the coil of a boa-constrictor; and, amidst the sound
of several persons mounting in haste, spurs were struck into the
sides of the large animal, that reared with a vast bound which
nearly dismounted its riders; and at once, as it seemed, a troop
were flying with her at the top of their speed along the road. Half
fainting from terror, and stifling in the folds of some coarse
envelopment, she was unable to utter a cry for help, and the
cavalcade scoured along its way. One seemed to ride before them,
and the rest behind. No one spoke, but her companion on the crupper
grasped her tightly, like a relentless fate, and onwards they still
bounded, and the deeply spurred steeds in agony of exertion str