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Rh sieur," said Dubois. "Come, we have wasted enough time. Will you surrender to us?"

The answer was a swift rush and an attack, which Dubois parried with the coolness of a wary and practised fencer. The four soldiers looked on stolidly, and the one who had been disarmed watched the duel with the staring gaze of bewilderment and alarm.

It lasted but a minute or two, when Dubois, forcing the fight with irresistible vigour, drove his antagonist back till, stepping on the fallen musket, he tripped and fell, and his sword went clattering out of his hand over the boards.

Dubois picked it up, and sheathed his own weapon. At that moment the Castle soldier made a dash for the door to escape, only to be stopped by two of the Bourbon men.

"You should not have driven me to this, monsieur," said Dubois in a tone of quiet authority. The officer had risen and stood with folded arms, his face flushed with anger and his brow sullen with the chagrin and humiliation of his ignominious failure. "You must accompany me. No harm will come to you if you obey. But we are resolute men, and our lives may be at stake." He signed to his own soldiers to bring the prisoner along, and all left the room.

"What is he going to do, Gerard?" asked Gabrielle. "How terrible he looked in that fight."

"He's a strenuous antagonist to face at such a time; but he meant only to disarm the other. He could have killed him half a dozen times had he been so minded. He has done splendidly."

"But what next? We cannot stay here now."

"No, indeed, for we shall have more of the Castle men here soon to learn the cause of the delay."

"What can have happened to Lucette? Dear, brave Lucette."