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Updated: July 24, 2025
The deep silence was broken only by the rippling of the Nancon, by the regular and lugubrious tolling from the belfries, by the heavy steps of the sentinels or the rattle of arms as the guard was hourly relieved. "The night's as thick as a wolf's jaw," said the voice of Pille-Miche. "Go on," growled Marche-a-Terre, "and don't talk more than a dead dog." "I'm hardly breathing," said the Chouan.
Marche-a-Terre is here; it was he who gave that cry; you are Chouans in disguise. God's thunder! I'll search the inn and make sure of it!" Just then a hoot, somewhat like those that preceded it, came from the courtyard; the commandant rushed out, and missed seeing the pallor that covered Madame du Gua's face as he spoke.
"By your leave, Monsieur Marche-a-Terre, cider and stakes are two good things which don't hinder a man's salvation." "If my cousin commits any folly," said Pille-Miche, "it will be out of ignorance." "In any way he commits it, if harm comes," said Marche-a-Terre, in a voice which made the arched roof tremble, "my gun won't miss him.
"I know you," continued Marche-a-Terre, "for a Jack Grab-All who would rather give blows than receive them when there's nothing else to be done. We have not come here to grab dead men's shoes; we are devils against devils, and sorrow to those whose claws are too short. The Grande-Garce has sent us here to save the Gars. He is up there; lift your dog's nose and see that window above the tower."
"Perhaps the ball will open over there," he said to his officers, pointing to the woods from which the two men did not emerge. While the first two made their report Hulot's attention was distracted momentarily from Marche-a-Terre.
When the sound on the dried leaves ceased, she stood for a moment as if confounded, then she hastily returned to the Chouans. With a gesture of contempt she said to Marche-a-Terre, who helped her to dismount, "That young man wants to make regular war on the Republic! Ah, well! he'll get over that in a few days. How he treated me!" she thought, presently.
"If the Grande-Garce is to be believed there'll be a fine booty to-day. Will you go shares with me?" "Look here, Pille-Miche," said Marche-a-Terre stopping short on the flat of his stomach. The other Chouans, who were accompanying the two men, did the same, so wearied were they with the difficulties they had met with in climbing the precipice.
In former days the Church approved of the confiscation of the property of Protestants, and there's far more reason for confiscating that of these revolutionists, who deny God, destroy chapels, and persecute religion." The abbe then joined example to precept by accepting, without the slightest scruple, the novel sort of tithe which Marche-a-Terre offered to him.
No, my good friends, I have not betrayed him." "Very good, that will do, cousin; you can explain all that to God in course of time." "But let me say good-bye to Barbette." "Come," said Marche-a-Terre, "if you don't want us to think you worse than you are, behave like a Breton and be done with it."
Marche-a-Terre gave no sign of disturbance at being watched. The curiosity of the two officers, who were new to this species of warfare, was greatly excited by this beginning of an affair which seemed to have an almost romantic interest, and they began to joke about it. But Hulot stopped them at once. "God's thunder!" he cried.
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