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Updated: June 8, 2025
'On the contrary, it was he who killed my Captain, the Lieutenant answered, in another tone than I had expected. 'If your servant is dead so is my comrade. 'Captain Larolle? she murmured, gazing with startled eyes, not at him but at me. I nodded. 'How? she asked. 'Clon flung the Captain and himself into the river pool above the bridge, I said.
We advanced about a hundred paces, keeping the cliff on our left, turned a shoulder, and saw, a few paces in front of us, a slight hollow, a black blotch in the grey duskiness of the cliff-side. The prisoner stopped, and, raising his bound hands, pointed to it. 'There? the Captain whispered, pressing forward. 'Is it the place? Clon nodded. The Captain's voice shook with excitement.
Clon moved slowly, moaning from time to time; and but for the aid given him by the two men with him, must have sunk down again and again. He led the way out between two houses close to the inn, and struck a narrow track, scarcely discernible, which ran behind other houses, and then plunged into the thickest part of the wood.
Above all, how my God! how was I to do it in the face of these helpless women, who trusted me, who believed in me, who opened their house to me? Clon had not frightened me, nor the loneliness of the leagued village, nor the remoteness of this corner where the dread Cardinal seemed a name, and the King's writ ran slowly, and the rebellion long quenched elsewhere, still smouldered.
This, where it ran through the wood, was so densely shaded that the sun penetrated to it little, and in patches only. A squirrel stirred at times, sliding round a trunk, or scampering across the dry leaves. Occasionally a pig grunted and moved farther into the wood. But the place was very quiet, and I do not know how it was that I surprised Clon instead of being surprised by him.
I had the presence of mind to thrust in my foot, and, before he could resent the act, a voice in the background cried, 'For shame, Clon! Stand back, stand back! do you hear? I am afraid, Monsieur, that you are hurt. Those words were my welcome to that house; and, spoken at an hour and in circumstances so gloomy, they made a lasting impression.
Madame and the dark porter stayed outside some time longer; then she, too, came in, and disappeared. Clon did not return with her, and when I went into the garden five minutes later, Louis also had vanished. Save for two women who sat sewing at an upper window, the house seemed to be deserted.
Well, I suppose not; for if we wanted company, Captain Larolle said that he would be delighted to see us in the parlour. 'He has taken your parlour? I said. 'He and his lieutenant sit there. But I suppose that we rebels should be thankful, she added bitterly; 'we have still our bedrooms left to us. 'Very well, I said. 'Then I must deal with Clon as I can.
'Paul and Lebrun remain here with the prisoner, he said, in a low tone. 'Sergeant, come forward with me. Now, are you ready? Forward! At the word he and the sergeant passed quickly, one on either side of Clon and his guards. The path grew narrow here, and the Captain passed outside.
Once or twice she spoke harshly to Louis; she fell at other times into a brown study; and when she thought that I was not watching her, her face wore a look of deep anxiety. I wondered what all this meant; and I wondered more when, after the meal, the two walked in the garden for an hour with Clon. Mademoiselle came from this interview alone, and I was sure that she had been weeping.
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