little above a whisper。 He gave his orders clearly and firmly；
and the words came to Marguerite on the wings of the wind with
strange distinctness； borne to her ears by the darkness itself；
and the hush that lay over the wood。
〃Take half a dozen men with you； sergeant；〃 she beard him say；
〃and join citizen Chauvelin at the chateau。 You can stable your
horses in the farm buildings close by； as he suggests and run to
him on foot。 You and your men should quickly get the best of a
handful of midnight prowlers； you are well armed and they only
civilians。 Tell citizen Chauvelin that I in the meanwhile will
take care of our prisoners。 The Englishman I shall put in irons
and lock up inside the chapel； with five men under the command of
your corporal to guard him； the other two I will drive myself
straight to Crecy with what is left of the escort。 You
understand？〃
〃Yes； citizen。〃
〃We may not reach Crecy until two hours after midnight； but
directly I arrive I will send citizen Chauvelin further
reinforcements； which； however； I hope may not necessary； but
which will reach him in the early morning。 Even if he is
seriously attacked； he can； with fourteen men he will have with
him； hold out inside the castle through the night。 Tell him also
that at dawn two prisoners who will be with me will be shot in the
courtyard of the guard…house at Crecy； but that whether he has got
hold of Capet or not he had best pick up the Englishman in the
chapel in the morning and bring him straight to Crecy； where I
shall be awaiting him ready to return to Paris。 You understand？〃
〃Yes； citizen。〃
〃Then repeat what I said。〃
〃I am to take six men with me to reinforce citizen Chauvelin now。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃And you； citizen； will drive straight back to Crecy； and will
send us further reinforcements from there； which will reach us in
the early morning。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃We are to hold the chateau against those unknown marauders if
necessary until the reinforcements come from Crecy。 Having routed
them； we return here； pick up the Englishman whom you will have
locked up in the chapel under a strong guard commanded by Corporal
Cassard； and join you forthwith at Crecy。〃
〃This； whether citizen Chauvelin has got hold of Capet or not。〃
〃Yes； citizen； I understand；〃 concluded the sergeant
imperturbably； 〃and I am also to tell citizen Chauvelin that the
two prisoners will be shot at dawn in the courtyard of the
guard…house at Crecy。〃
〃Yes。 That is all。 Try to find the leader of the attacking
party； and bring him along to Crecy with the Englishman； but
unless they are in very small numbers do not trouble about the
others。 Now en avant； citizen Chauvelin might be glad of your
help。 Andstayorder all the men to dismount； and take the
horses out of one of the coaches； then let the men you are taking
with you each lead a horse； or even two； and stable them all in
the farm buildings。 I shall not need them； and could not spare
any of my men for the work later on。 Remember that； above all；
silence is the order。 When you are ready to start； come back to
me here。〃
The sergeant moved away； and Marguerite heard him transmitting the
citizen agent's orders to the soldiers。 The dismounting was
carried on in wonderful silencefor silence had been one of the
principal commandsonly one or two words reached her ears。
〃First section and first half of second section fall in； right
wheel。 First section each take two horses on the lead。 Quietly
now there； don't tug at his bridlelet him go。〃
And after that a simple report：
〃All ready； citizen！〃
〃Good！〃 was the response。 〃Now detail your corporal and two men
to come here to me； so that we may put the Englishman in irons；
and take him at once to the chapel； and four men to stand guard at
the doors of the other coach。〃
The necessary orders were given； and after that there came the
curt command：
〃En avant！〃
The sergeant； with his squad and all the horses； was slowly moving
away in the night。 The horses' hoofs hardly made a noise on the
soft carpet of pine…needles and of dead fallen leaves； but the
champing of the bits was of course audible； and now and then the
snorting of some poor； tired horse longing for its stable。
Somehow in Marguerite's fevered mind this departure of a squad of
men seemed like the final flitting of her last hope； the slow
agony of the familiar sounds； the retreating horses and soldiers
moving away amongst the shadows； took on a weird significance。
Heron had given his last orders。 Percy； helpless and probably
unconscious； would spend the night in that dank chapel； while she
and Armand would be taken back to Crecy； driven to death like some
insentient animals to the slaughter。
When the grey dawn would first begin to peep through the branches
of the pines Percy would be led back to Paris and the guillotine；
and she and Armand will have been sacrificed to the hatred and
revenge of brutes。
The end had come； and there was nothing more to be done。
Struggling； fighting； scheming； could be of no avail now； but she
wanted to get to her husband； she wanted to be near him now that
death was so imminent both for him and for her。
She tried to envisage it all； quite calmly； just as she knew that
Percy would wish her to do。 The inevitable end was there； and she
would not give to these callous wretches here the gratuitous
spectacle of a despairing woman fighting blindly against adverse
Fate。
But she wanted to go to her husband。 She felt that she could face
death more easily on the morrow if she could but see him once； if
she could but look once more into the eyes that had mirrored so
much enthusiasm； such absolute vitality and whole…hearted
self…sacrifice； and such an intensity of love and passion； if she
Could but kiss once more those lips that had smiled through life；
and would smile； she knew； even in the face of death。
She tried to open the carriage door； but it was held from without；
and a harsh voice cursed her； ordering her to sit still。
But she could lean out of the window and strain her eyes to see。
They were by now accustomed to the gloom； the dilated pupils
taking in pictures of vague forms moving like ghouls in the
shadows。 The other coach was not far； and she could hear Heron's
voice； still subdued and calm； and the curses of the men。 But not
a sound from Percy。
〃I think the prisoner is unconscious；〃 she heard one of the men say。
〃Lift him out of the carriage； then；〃 was Heron's curt command；
〃and you go and throw open the chapel gates。〃
Marguerite saw it all。 The movement； the crowd of men； two vague；
black forms lifting another one； which appeared heavy and inert；
out of the coach； and carrying it staggering up towards the
chapel。
Then the forms disappeared； swallowed up by the more dense mass of
the little building； merged in with it； immovable as the stone
itself。
Only a few words reached her now。
〃He is unconscious。〃
〃Leave him there； then； he'll not move！〃
〃Now close the gates！〃
There was a loud clang； and Marguerite gave a piercing scream。
She tore at the handle of the carriage door。
〃Armand； Armand； go to him！〃 she cried； and all her self…control；
all her enforced calm； vanished in an outburst of wild； agonising
passion。 〃Let me get to him； Armand！ This is the end； get me to
him； in the name of God！〃
〃Stop that woman screaming；〃 came Heron's voice clearly through
the night。 〃Put her and the other prisoner in ironsquick！〃
But while Marguerite expended her feeble strength in a mad；
pathetic effort to reach her husband； even now at this last hour；
when all hope was dead and Death was so nigh； Armand had already
wrenched the carriage door from the grasp of the soldier who was
guarding it。 He was of the South； and knew the trick of charging
an unsuspecting adversary with head thrust forward like a bull
inside a ring。 Thus he knocked one of the soldiers down and made a
quick rush for the chapel gates。
The men； attacked so suddenly and in such complete darkness； did
not wait for orders。 They closed in round Armand； one man drew
his sabre and hacked away with it in aimless rage。
But for the moment he evaded them all； pushing his way through
them； not heeding the blows that came on him from out the
darkness。 At last he reached the chapel。 With one bound he was
at the gate； his numb fingers fumbling for the lock； which he
could not see。
It was a vigorous blow from Heron's fist that brought him at last
to his knees； and even then his hands did not relax their hold；
they gripped the ornamental scroll of the gate； shook the gate
itself in its rusty hinges； pushed and pulled with the unreasoning
strength of despair。 He had a sabre cut across his brow； and the
blood flowed in a warm； trickling stream down his face。 But of
this he was unconscious； all that he wanted； all that he was
striving for with agonising heart…beats and cracking sinews； was
to get to his friend； who was lying in there unconscious；
abandoneddead； perhaps。
〃Curse you；〃 struck Heron's voice close to his ear。 〃Cannot some
of you stop this raving maniac？〃
Then it was that the heavy blow on his head caused him a sensation
of sickness； and he fell on his knees； still gripping the ironwork。
Stronger hands than his were forcing him to loosen his hold； blows
that hurt terribly rained on his numbed fingers； he felt himself
dragged away； carried like an inert mass further and further from
that gate which he would have given his lifeblood to force open。
And Marguerite heard all this from the inside of the coach where
she was imprisoned as effectually as was Percy's unconscious body
inside that dark chapel。 She could hear the noise and scramble；
and Heron's hoarse commands； the swift sabre strokes as they cut
through the air。
Already a trooper had clapped irons on her wrists； two others held
the carriage doors。 Now Armand was lifted back into the coach；
and she could not even help to make him comfortable； though as he
was lifted in she heard him feebly moaning。 Then the Carriage
doors were banged to again。
〃Do not allow either of the prisoners out again； on peril of your
lives！〃 came with a vigorous curse