Part 58 (1/2)

Heron's head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the broas as usual out of the carriageHe leered across at Marguerite when he saw the outline of her face frae

”Say all the prayers you have ever known, citizeness,” he said with a loud laugh, ”that my friend Chauvelin may find Capet at the chateau, or else you may take a last look at the open country, for you will not see the sun rise on it to-morrow It is one or the other, you know”

She tried not to look at hiht of hiaunt face of his, the fleshy lips, that hideous bandage across his face that hid one of his eyes! She tried not to see hih

Obviously he too laboured under the stress of great exciteone well; the prisoner had made no atteame But the crucial hour had come, and with it darkness and the mysterious depths of the forest with their weird sounds and sudden flashes of ghostly lights They naturally wrought on the nerves of ht have been dormant, but whose ears were nevertheless filled with the cries of innocent victims sacrificed to their own lustful aave sharp orders to the ave the curt word of couerite could but strain her ears to listen All her senses, all her faculties hadit doubly keen It seeuish the faint sound--that even as she listened grew fainter and fainter yet--of Chauvelin and his squadaway rapidly into the thickness of the wood some distance already ahead

Close to her there was the snorting of horses, the clanging and noise ofmounted men Heron's coach had taken the lead; she could hear the creaking of its wheels, the calls of the driver urging his beasts

The di at foot-pace in the darkness that seeh that silence which was so full of e rolled and rocked on its springs; Marguerite, giddy and overtired, lay back with closed eyes, her hand resting in that of Armand Tireat Lord of all, had remained; he walked on ahead, scythe on skeleton shoulder, and beckoned patiently, but with a sure, griroaned and creaked on their axles, one or two horses reared with the sudden drawing up of the curb

”What is it now?” cah the darkness

”It is pitch-dark, citizen,” was the response from ahead ”The drivers cannot see their horses' ears They wait to know if they ht their lanthorns and then lead their horses”

”They can lead their horses,” replied Heron roughly, ”but I'll have no lanthorns lighted We don't knohat fools h hted target of ourselves--what? But let the drivers lead their horses, and one or two of you who are riding greys reys would show up perhaps in this cursed blackness”

While his orders were being carried out, he called out once more:

”Are we far now from that confounded chapel?”

”We can't be far, citizen; the whole forest is not one two since we turned into it”

”Hush!+” Heron's voice suddenly broke in hoarsely ”What was that?

Silence, I say damn you--can't you hear?”

There was a hush--every ear straining to listen; but the horses were not still--they continued to charound, and to toss their heads, iain there would coh these sounds--a second or two, mayhap, of perfect, unbroken silence--and then it seeh the darkness aof bits, the pawing of soft ground, the tossing and snorting of ani the trees

”It is citizen Chauvelin and hisin a whisper

”Silence--I want to hear,” came the curt, hoarsely-whispered command

Onceto breathe, clinging to their bridles and pulling on their horses' ht there came like a faint echo which seemed to throw back those sounds that indicated the presence of men and of horses not very far away

”Yes, it must be citizen Chauvelin,” said Heron at last; but the tone of his voice sounded as if he were anxious and only half convinced; ”but I thought he would be at the chateau by now”

”He o at foot-pace; it is very dark, citizen Heron,”

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