“I won’t leave you,” said Ralph. “You’re right.” He put his head out of the door to take a look round. A third bullet shattered one of the tiles of the roof. So they were besieged, compelled to stay where they were. Two marksmen armed with long-range rifles prevented any attempt to get away. Ralph had time to learn the position of these marksmen, from two little clouds of smoke which were rising at a distance. Posted a little way from one another on the cliff on the right, they were about two hundred and fifty yards away. From that point they commanded the whole length of the lake and the little corner of the beach that still remained above the water and nearly all of the interior of the grotto. All of it, except a recess on the right, in which they were huddled, and the very back of it where were the two stones which served as a fireplace, which was hidden by the slope of the roof, was open to their fire. By a violent effort Ralph forced himself to laugh. “This is funny,” he said. His laughter seemed so spontaneous that it quieted Aurelie. He went on: “Here we are blockaded. At the slightest movement, a bullet. And the line of fire is such that we’re obliged to hide ourselves in a mousehole. You must admit that it is jolly well planned.” “Who by?” “I thought at first by the old Marquess. But it isn’t him. It can’t be him.” “Then what has become of him?” “He’s shut up somewhere. There’s no doubt about it. He must have fallen into some trap which was laid for him by the very people who are blockading us.” “That’s to say?” “Two formidable enemies from whom we need not expect any pity. Jodot and William Ancivel.” He was thus brutally frank on this point, to turn Aurelie’s attention from the real danger which threatened them. For Jodot and William and their rifles counted very little in his eyes compared with the rising invasion of this stealthy water which the two crooks had made their formidable ally. “And why this ambush?” she asked.