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As he walked through the Vier Marchi with his officers, there flashed before his eyes the scene of sixteen years ago, when, through the grime and havoc of battle, he had run to save Guida from the scimitar of the garish Turk. Walking through the Place du Vier Prison, he recalled the morning when he had rescued Ranulph from the hands of the mob. Where was Ranulph now?
Malo, to meet the old solicitor of his family. He knew nothing of his friend's death or of Guida's trouble. As for Carterette, Guida would not let her come for her own sake. Nor did Maitre Ranulph visit her after the funeral of the Sieur de Mauprat. The horror of the thing had struck him dumb, and his mind was one confused mass of conflicting thoughts.
But one day Carterette received a letter from France which excited her greatly, and sent her off hot-foot to Guida. In the same hour Ranulph heard a piece of hateful gossip which made him fell to the ground the man who told him, and sent him with white face, and sick, yet indignant heart, to the cottage in the Place du Vier Prison.
An officer came up and held out a hand to him. "Your shot ended the business," said he. "You're a brave fellow. What is your name?" "Ranulph Delagarde, sir." "Delagarde eh? Then well done, Delagardes! They say your father was the first man killed. We won't forget that, my lad."
In one corner was a fiddler, and on the veille, flourished for the occasion with satinettes and fern, sat two centeniers and the prevot, singing an old song in the patois of three parishes. Ranulph looked at the scene lingeringly. Here he was, with mystery and peril to hasten his steps, loitering at the spot where the light of home streamed out upon the roadway.
As Ranulph had surmised, the ship was the Narcissus, and its first lieutenant was Philip d'Avranche. The night before, orders had reached the vessel from the Admiralty that soundings were to be taken at the Ecrehos. The captain had at once made inquiries for a pilot, and Jean Touzel was commended to him. A messenger sent to Jean found that he had already gone to the Ecrehos.
"The Lord protect us," he cried, "they're going to fight my ship!" He laughed again till the tears came. "Son of Peter, but it is droll that a farce au diable! They have humour, these fisher-folk, eh, gunner?" "Mattingley will fight you just the same," answered Ranulph coolly. "Oh ho, you know these people, my gunner?" asked Richambeau.
But though he lingered, somehow he seemed withdrawn from all these things; they were to him now as pictures of a distant past. Dormy plucked at his coat. "Come, come, lift your feet, lift your feet," said he; "it's no time to walk in slippers. The old man will be getting scared, oui-gia!" Ranulph roused himself. Yes, yes, he must hurry on.
"Ranulph poor Ranulph!" she said, half rising in her seat. "No, no wait," he rejoined. "Sit where you are till I tell you all. Guida, you don't know what a life it has been for me these four years.
She had heard all these things in flying rumours, and she had believed the rumours; but now that Maitre Ranulph told her Ranulph, whose word she would have taken quicker than the oath of a Jurat she doubted. With the doubt her face flushed as though she herself had been caught in a lie, had done a mean thing. Somehow her heart was aching for him, she knew not why.
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