Part 55 (2/2)

”If it were only all over!” she sighed involuntarily ”Armand, at times now I feel as if I were not really sane--as if iven way! Tell me, do I seem mad to you at times?”

He sat down beside her and tried to chafe her little cold hands

There was a knock at the door, and without waiting for peries to you, Lady Blakeney,” he said in his usual suave manner, ”but our worthy host informs me that this is the only room in which he can serve a meal Therefore I ah he spoke with outward politeness, his tone had becouerite's reply before he sat down opposite to her and continued to talk airily

”An ill-conditioned fellow, our host,” he said--”quite reard at the Chat Gris in Calais You reiddy and over-tired,” interposed Arard for her”

”All regard in the world, citizen St Just,” protested Chauvelin jovially ”Methought that those pleasant reminiscences would cheer her Ah! here comes the soup,” he added, as a man in blue blouse and breeches, with sabots on his feet, slouched into the roo a tureen which he incontinently placed upon the table ”I feel sure that in England Lady Blakeney eois cookery--Lady Blakeney, a little soup?”

”I thank you, sir,” she , little mother,” Arth for his sake, if not for mine”

She turned a wan, pale face to him, and tried to smile

”I'll try, dear,” she said

”You have taken bread and meat to the citizens in the coach?” Chauvelin called out to the retreating figure of runted the latter in assent

”And see that the citizen soldiers are well fed, or there will be trouble”

”H'ed the door to behind him

”Citizen Heron is loath to let the prisoner out of his sight,” explained Chauvelin lightly, ”now that we have reached the last,Sir Percy's mid-day meal in the interior of the coach”

He ate his soup with a relish, ostentatiously paying uerite all the time He ordered meat for her--bread, butter--asked if any dainties could be got He was apparently in the best of tempers

After he had eaten and drunk he rose and bowed ceremoniously to her

”Your pardon, Lady Blakeney,” he said, ”but I must confer with the prisoner now, and take from him full directions for the continuance of our journey After that I go to the guard-house, which is soht at the other end of the city We pick up a fresh squad here, twenty hardened troopers froiment usually stationed at Abbeville They have had work to do in this tohich is a hot-bed of treachery I eant ill be in command Citizen Heron leaves all these inspections to me; he likes to stay by his prisoner In the meanwhile you will be escorted back to your coach, where I pray you to await uard first, then proceed on our way”

Marguerite was longing to ask hiain she would have sed for news of her husband, but Chauvelin did not wait He hurried out of the roo the soldiers to take them forthwith back to the coach

As they came out of the inn they saw the other coach some fifty metres further up the street The horses that had done duty since leaving Abbeville had been taken out, and two soldiers in ragged shi+rts, and with cri the two fresh horses along The troopers were still uard round both the coaches; they would be relieved presently

Marguerite would have given ten years of her life at thisto her husband, or even of seeing hi up in her rant her hile citizen Chauvelin was absent The man had not an unkind face, and he must be very poor--people in France were very poor these days, though the rich had been robbed and luxurious homes devastated ostensibly to help the poor

She was about to put this sudden thought into execution when Heron's hideous face, doubly hideous noith that bandage of doubtful cleanliness cutting across his brow, appeared at the carriage