did I fall, matters would be no different."

The young man fell to thinking, but I, knowing that it is not well to
let the young ponder overlong if you would bend them to your wishes,
broke in upon his reflections--"See, Montresor, yonder are the lights of
Blois; by eight o'clock we shall be in the town. Come; grant me leave to
cross the Loire, and by ten o'clock, or half-past at the latest, I shall
return to sup with you or I shall be dead. I swear it."

"Were I in your position," he answered musingly, "I know how I would be
treated, and, pardieu! come what may I shall deal with you accordingly.
You may go to your assignation, M. de Luynes, and may God prosper you."

And thus it came to pass that shortly after eight o'clock, albeit
a prisoner, I rode into the courtyard of the Lys de France, and,
alighting, I stepped across the threshold of the inn, and strode up to
a table at which I had espied Michelot. He sat nursing a huge measure
of wine, into the depths of which he was gazing pensively, with an
expression so glum upon his weather-beaten countenance that it defies
depicting. So deep was he in his meditations, that albeit I stood by the
table surveying him for a full minute, he took no heed of me.

"Allons, Michelot!" I said at length. "Wake up."

He started up with a cry of amazement; surprise chased away the grief
that had been on his face, and a moment later joy unfeigned, and good to
see, took the place of surprise.

"You have escaped, Monsieur!" he cried, and albeit caution made him
utter the words beneath his breath, a shout seemed to lurk somewhere in
the whisper.

Pressing his hand I sat down and briefly told him how matters stood, and
how I came to be for the moment free. And when I had done I bade him,
since his wound had not proved serious, to get his hat and cloak and go
with me to find a boat.

He obeyed me, and a quarter of an hour after we had quitted the hostelry
he was rowing me across the stream, whilst, wrapped in my cloak, I sat
in the stern, thinking of Yvonne.

"Monsieur," said Michelot, "observe how swift is the stream. If I were
to let the boat drift we should be at Tours to-morrow, and from there it
would be easy to defy pursuit. We have enough money to reach Spain. What
say you, Monsieur?"

"Say, you rascal? Why, bend your back to the work and set me ashore by
St. Sulpice in a quarter of an hour, or I'll forget that you have been
my friend. Would you see me dishonoured?"

"Soon