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HILE Gabrielle was closeted with the Duchess Gerard had made the best use of his time to learn what he could of the Governor's Castle.

Well placed on rising ground just within the northern gate, it had in former times been a strong fortress, at once overawing Morvaix itself and commanding the approach from the north, the side which was most open to attack. Its outer fortifications formed a long portion of the boundary walls of the city; and in the more desperate times when that district had been constantly overrun by raiders, many a fierce and desperate conflict had raged round its gloomy walls.

Gerard saw, not without uneasiness, that the Governor had restored many of the old fortifications, had constructed several more modern works, and had thus greatly strengthened the place.

The reason was not far to seek. The Duke ruled by force. He ground the people under the iron heel of military discipline; and so long as he was sure of the strength of his Castle and could maintain his soldiers, the people were powerless. They might protest and murmur and even rise in revolt; but under the frowning menace of the Castle, they were helpless.

Every piece of the military machinery was kept in a high state of preparedness for eventualities, and Gerard's keen soldier's eye could not fail to note all the evidences of strength and to estimate them at their true value. Whatever the Duke might be, he was a good soldier.