"Thank you," said Chanot quickly, but still not taking her hand, "it will help--that which you have said--when it comes to the pinch. I am--I was a gentleman!" "A brave one and true," said the girl, and then, something she had heard or read working in her head, she added, "gentle and a gentleman." The day was coming up over the river, and soon the lamps in the room burned faint and yellow. Chardon, waking, opened the window by which he sat and the fresh air of the May morning fanned out the heated atmosphere. The coolness brought a faint flush to Alida's cheek and her lips grew redder. Chanot rose to his feet and held out his hand. "Good-bye, dear lady--I have met you too late. Yet do not think quite unkindly of me, of whom much evil will be spoken." "Chardon," he said, "I leave you here on guard. I commit these ladies to you--should--should any of our people--you understand." Chardon stood without bareheaded, watching his leader go. Chanot reached the Garden Cottage in time to find himself face to face with a company of soldiers--red-breeched infantry men they were, of the 131st of the line. These were under the command of a very young officer in a tremendous haste. He held a piece of paper in one hand and with the other he knocked loudly, with the hilt of his recently acquired sword, on the door of the Garden Cottage. "I have a warrant for the instant arrest of the chief of the Aramon insurrection. I am advised that he lives here. His name is Keller, Charles Keller." "I am the chief of the Aramon insurrection," said Chanot calmly, "I am Keller!" The rattle of the _peloton_ fire came irregularly from above, among the rocks of St. Andre. Chanot heard it and knew his fate. No lingering trial for him, no stupid military commanders murmuring sleepily over a foregone verdict. "There against the wall--we must cross the river--there is no time to lose. Form a firing party." The young officer, in a hurry, fairly jetted out his orders. "_Mon lieutenant_," said Chanot coolly, "there are ladies within the Chateau of Gobelet--the house you see yonder through the trees. It belongs to a great English scholar, who is a friend of Monsieur Thiers, and a historian like him. I have no objections to being shot, but you will have the goodness to let me march with you till we turn the corner of the policies. Then we will have a steep cliff and the river below, which will be convenient." The lieutenant nodded. His men were ordered in that direction, and so it chanced that twenty of the defenders of our Chateau Schneider witnessed the end of the Black Insurrection of Aramon. Jack Jaikes and the others of the old machine-gun gang greeted the appearance of Chanot guarded and marching to execution with a yell of triumph.