"Famine, sir! famine!" said Guiton, sharply. "An ounce of meat,--God knows of what kind,--two ounces of dried peas, and a draught of cold water, is but a meagre diet for old men and babes. We strong men can bear it; but there be some who are foolish enough to die rather than endure it a little longer." "And have you the heart, sir," asked Edward, with some indignation in his tone, "to refuse the means of escape offered to an old man, and that man Clement Tournon, and to speak lightly of his sufferings,--his martyrdom, I might say?" "No! no! no!" cried the mayor, vehemently, stretching forth his hands. "Young man, you mistake me! Could my blood nourish him, he should have the last drop. What! old Clement Tournon, my dear, dear friend,--would I deprive him of one hour's life? But it is that I cannot comprehend how you are here,--why you are here. This story that you tell is mere nonsense." "It is true, nevertheless," said Edward. "But if my word will not satisfy you,--as, indeed, I see no reason why it should,--come with me to Clement Tournon, and he perhaps can tell you how much I can dare to serve a friend." "I will!" cried Guiton, starting up; but then he sat down again immediately, saying, "No, no! I cannot bear those faces in the streets. Can you find your way yourself?--for I can spare no men." "Not if I am to be blindfolded," said Edward: "otherwise I could find it, I am sure." "Pshaw!" said the mayor, "what use of blindfolding you? You will see dying and dead, plague-eaten, famine-stricken. But you can go and tell the Cardinal de Richelieu how the citizens of Rochelle can die rather than see their privileges torn from them, their religion trodden under foot. You can tell him, too, that I will defend those walls as long as there is one soldier left to man them and one hand capable of firing a gun, unless we have security for our faith. You are sure he said nothing more?" "No, nothing more," answered Edward: "merely that he would give you the most favorable terms, but that he would not have rebellion in the land."