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Rh fell back faint and white, Gabrielle ran and knelt beside her.

Gerard paused for the Governor to speak, but rage deprived him of words.

"What say you now, my lord?" asked Gerard.

"This is a plot against me—a damnable scheme to try and put me to shame here," cried the infuriated Governor. "You shall have an answer, never fear; and one little to your liking. Seize that man," he cried to his officers, pointing to Gerard with a hand that shook with rage.

"Should not the hall be cleared?" said de Proballe, roused to great alarm for himself now at the fiasco of his plans.

The answer came from Gerard in a loud tone that resounded through the vast hall.

"No," he cried; "not until the infamy of this thing has been made public."

A profound hush of expectancy fell upon the great throng, each man holding his breath in wonderment and suspense; and before it was broken, an officer entered hurriedly and approached the Governor—

"My lord, my lord," he said excitedly; "I crave your lordship's pardon. Captain Boutelle has sent me to report that a large force of troops are approaching the city."

"At last," whispered Gerard under his breath, with a deep sigh of relief.

The Governor turned to two of his captains near him—

"Go at once, Des Moulins, and you, Courvoir, and see what this means. Close the gates against them, and hold them in parley till I come."

The men hurried out in company with the officer who had brought the news.

"Clear the hall, Captain Fourtier; drive these canaille back to the prisons until I can deal with them."