l of the forms he had hitherto supposed to be
stones moving cautiously but swiftly. He went at once to the guard-room
at the Porte Saint-Leonard, where he found the commandant fully dressed
and sound asleep on a camp bed.

"Let him alone," said Beau-Pied, roughly, "he has only just lain down."

"The Chouans are here!" cried Corentin, in Hulot's ear.

"Impossible! but so much the better," cried the old soldier, still half
asleep; "then he can fight."

When Hulot reached the Promenade Corentin pointed out to him the
singular position taken by the Chouans.

"They must have deceived or strangled the sentries I placed between the
castle and the Queen's Staircase. Ah! what a devil of a fog! However,
patience! I'll send a squad of men under a lieutenant to the foot of the
rock. There is no use attacking them where they are, for those animals
are so hard they'd let themselves roll down the precipice without
breaking a limb."

The cracked clock of the belfry was ringing two when the commandant
got back to the Promenade after giving these orders and taking every
military precaution to seize the Chouans. The sentries were doubled and
Mademoiselle de Verneuil's house became the centre of a little army.
Hulot found Corentin absorbed in contemplation of the window which
overlooked the tower.

"Citizen," said the commandant, "I think the _ci-devant_ has fooled us;
there's nothing stirring."

"He is there," cried Corentin, pointing to the window. "I have seen a
man's shadow on the curtain. But I can't think what has become of that
boy. They must have killed him or locked him up. There! commandant,
don't you see that? there's a man's shadow; come, come on!"

"I sha'n't seize him in bed; thunder of God! He will come out if he
went in; Gudin won't miss him," cried Hulot, who had his own reasons for
waiting till the Gars could defend himself.

"Commandant, I enjoin you, in the name of the law to proceed at once
into that house."

"You're a fine scoundrel to try to make me do that."

Without showing any resentment at the commandant's language, Corentin
said coolly: "You will obey me. Here is an order in good form, signed
by the minister of war, which will force you to do so." He drew a paper
from his pocket and held it out. "Do you suppose we are such fools as
to leave that girl to do as she likes? We are endeavoring to suppress a
civil war, and the grandeur of the purpose covers the pettiness of the
means."

"I take the li