Part 34 (2/2)

De Lescure and Henri determined to remain up till the departure of the waggon. Madame de Lescure went up to her room, and the two gentlemen went down towards the farmyard. The waggon stood at the kitchen-door already packed, and the two servants were bringing the oxen down the road to yoke them to it.

”Go out at the front gate, Francois, and by the church at Terves; it is the better road. You will remain a couple of hours in Bressuire. We shall overtake you before you reach Beaulieu.”

The servant acknowledged his master's commands, and fastened the last rope which bound the oxen to their burden. He spoke to his beasts, and accompanied his word with a goad from a pointed stick he held in his hand, when his farther progress was stopped by Henri's calling from a little distance down the road.

”Stop, Francois, stop!” said he. ”Charles, come here; some one is coming hither at the top of his speed. Don't you hear the noise of hoofs upon the road?”

De Lescure ran to him, and kneeling down, put his ear to the ground.

”It's a donkey or a mule,” said he; ”it is not a horse's foot.”

”Come down the avenue,” said Henri, ”and let us see who it is. Whether mule or horse, the beast is going at his full speed.”

”Better stay where we are,” said de Lescure. ”If he be coming to us, his news will reach the house quicker than by our going to meet him.”

The rider grew nearer and nearer, and in a few moments turned up the road leading to the back of the house. The steps of the tired brute became slower as he trotted up the avenue, although the sound of a cudgel on his ribs were plainly audible. Henri and de Lescure were standing under the garden wall, and as the animal drew near them, they saw it was a jaded donkey, ridden by a peasant girl.

”Fly, for the sake of G.o.d!” said the girl, even before she dismounted from the donkey; ”fly for the sake of the blessed Virgin. Take the ladies from the chateau, or they will be burnt--be burnt--be burnt!”

As she screamed the last words she slipped from the donkey, and almost fainted with the exertion she had undergone. She was the daughter of one of M. de Lescure's servants, and had been sent from Clisson into service at the chateau, from whence Westerman started on his expedition. When the republicans made their appearance there, she had fled with the other servants, but she had hung about the house, and about an hour and a half before Westerman left the place she learnt, through some of the soldiers, his intention of attacking Clisson that night.

”Who is coming to burn us, Marian?” said de Lescure, endeavouring by his own a.s.sumed coolness to enable her to collect her thoughts and power of speech.

”The blues--the blues!” screamed the girl. ”They had all but overtaken me when I got to the short cut through the wood. There they are, there they are,” and the noise of the advancing troop was distinctly audible through the stillness of the night.

The poor girl was quite exhausted, and fell to the ground fainting. De Lescure and Henri had both stood still for a moment, after having been made to comprehend that an immediate attack was about to be made on the chateau, but it was only for a moment.

”We must carry them through the wood, Charles,” said Henri, whispering.

”It is our only chance.”

”True--true,” said de Lescure. ”Turn the oxen, Francois, turn them back through the yard into the farm-road, and then keep to the left into the wood. We will meet you at the seven limes.”

”Take Victorine out through the garden,” said Henri to his cousin, who was now hurrying into the house, ”and through the iron gate. I saw the other day that the key was in it, and we can turn it. I tried it myself.

I will bring Marie after you.”

Henri stayed a moment to a.s.sist in turning the c.u.mbrous waggon, and ran back to open the farm gates.

”Close the gates after you, Francois,” said he, ”and put the tressels close against them. If you lose a minute in doing it, you will gain five in delaying these devils. If you hear them following you in the wood-road, draw the waggon across the track and leave it.”

He was only delayed two minutes by going back to the yard gates, but those two minutes were nearly fatal to him and Marie. Marian also delayed him again as he returned to the house.

”Where am I to go, M. Henri,” said she; ”what am I to do? they will be sure to kill me, for they saw me at Amaillou, and will know that I gave the warning.”

”Hide yourself, my girl,” said Henri: ”hide yourself, but not in the house, for that will soon be a ma.s.s of ruins. Hide yourself in the woods; there cannot be many of these devils here, and they will not remain long.”

He hurried into the house as he ceased speaking, and at the moment he did so Westerman and his thirty men turned the corner of the avenue. He rushed from the back door through the pa.s.sages of the chateau into the hall, where he seized hold of a large cloak belonging to de Lescure, which he threw over his shoulder as he ran up stairs. On the stairs he met his cousin, with Madame de Lescure and the nurse and child.

”Haste, Henri, for G.o.d's sake, haste,” said she; ”I heard the tramp of their horses through my open window.”

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