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Rh "Your name, monsieur."

"Tourelle. Leave me in peace."

"Christian name, please?"

"Pascal. You are an insolent fellow."

"And mademoiselle's name?"

"It is no concern of yours."

"I heard it, monsieur, and yours too. Gerard the one and Gabrielle the other. That is enough for me. You must come with me."

"I will not. Don't you dare to lay a finger on me," and he made as if to offer a resistance.

"You can explain to those at the Castle, monsieur. I can only obey orders."

"You touch me at your peril. I am an honest burgher."

"It's no use, monsieur. You can see that," and at a sign from him two of the men stepped forward.

"You shall pay dearly for this outrage, and if I had a weapon"

"Ah, but you haven't," was the blunt reply; and the two soldiers laid their hands on him.

"And you also, mademoiselle, please."

The little comedy was well acted to the end, and Pascal, full of protests, and Lucette in tears, were led away; the sergeant unable to repress a smile of intense satisfaction at the capture.

They had not been gone long before the others came back to the room.

"The ruse has answered, then," said Gerard.

"How brave of Lucette," exclaimed Gabrielle. "I trust no harm will come to her for this."

"It cannot. It is but a few hours now before we shall be in command of the town and the Castle itself. And those hours will be consumed by this search. Can we go, Dubois?"

"I should wait a while."