nt off, after
some swearing, in tolerably good humour. Thereon Fresnoy was for taking
the road at once, but having no mind to be followed, I gave the word to
wait until the two were out of sight.

I think, as we sat our horses in the rain, the holly-bush not being
large enough to shelter us all, we were as sorry a band as ever set out
to rescue a lady; nor was it without pain that I looked round and saw
myself reduced to command such people. There was scarcely one whole
unpatched garment among us, and three of my squires had but a spur
apiece. To make up for this deficiency we mustered two black eyes,
Fresnoy's included, and a broken nose. Matthew's nag lacked a tail,
and, more remarkable still, its rider, as I presently discovered, was
stone-deaf; while Mark's sword was innocent of a scabbard, and his
bridle was plain rope. One thing, indeed, I observed with pleasure. The
two men who had come with me looked askance at the two who had come with
Fresnoy, and these returned the stare with interest. On this division
and on the length of my sword I based all my hopes of safety and of
something more. On it I was about to stake, not my own life only--which
was no great thing, seeing what my prospects were--but the life and
honour of a woman, young, helpless, and as yet unknown to me.

Weighed down as I was by these considerations, I had to bear the
additional burden of hiding my fears and suspicions under a cheerful
demeanour. I made a short speech to my following, who one and all
responded by swearing to stand by me to the death. I then gave the word,
and we started, Fresnoy and I leading the way, Luke and John with the
led horses following, and the other two bringing up the rear.

The rain continuing to fall and the country in this part being dreary
and monotonous, even in fair weather, I felt my spirits sink still lower
as the day advanced. The responsibility I was going to incur assumed
more serious proportions each time I scanned my following; while
Fresnoy, plying me with perpetual questions respecting my plans, was as
uneasy a companion as my worst enemy could have wished me.

'Come!' he grumbled presently, when we had covered four leagues or
so, 'you have not told me yet, sieur, where we stay to-night. You are
travelling so slowly that--'

'I am saving the horses,' I answered shortly. 'We shall do a long day
to-morrow.'

'Yours looks fit for a week of days,' he sneered, with an evil look at
my Sardinian, which