"A Russian? Oho! Listen, _mes enfants_, she is a Russian! Then, _chérie_, you shall give us each six roubles and six kisses--see, I have spoken, it is an edict! Is it not so, my friends?" The men crowded round Vera, whose heart sank a little. She placed her back against the wall of the house, however, close to which she stood, and felt within the folds of her mantle for the pistol, without which and a sharp dagger she never left the house at this time. "See," she cried, "I said that I could sting--who will offer to touch me now. I swear that I will shoot if----" One of the men by a sudden movement knocked the pistol from her hand; a second later he had his arms about her neck and was in the act of drawing the girl close to him. Suddenly he recoiled with an oath, pale, scowling, grabbing at the upper part of his left arm. Vera laughed. "I told you I should sting!" she said. "The little devil has stabbed me!" exclaimed the man, whose sleeve was covered with blood where it had touched his shoulder. "You little serpent, for this----" The laughter of his comrades drowned the rest of his threat. Two French sub-officers now suddenly appeared upon the scene, one of them knocked the threatener aside. "Stop it, canaille!" he cried. "Have you not read the placards of the Emperor? The inhabitants are no longer to be robbed and ravaged; they have suffered enough." "Placards or no placards, Emperor or no Emperor, and corporals or no corporals," shouted the principal offender, "I shall not bear this affront, my friend! Brothers, we will have our roubles and our kisses. Hold this little fool while I exact my own share; then each shall have his turn!" But the two sergeants placed themselves between Vera and her persecutors. One picked up her pistol and handed it to her. The young Frenchman who had first spoken drew his sword. "_Mes enfants_," he said, "I recommend you to disappear. Three of you I know by name--let them go first--Rénet, Judic and Meyer; go, my friends, if you are wise. These others I shall deal with." The three men named quickly disappeared. It was true that the Emperor had--none too soon--placarded the city with stringent orders that the reign of bloodshed and violence should cease, under severe penalties. The other three men, after preserving their threatening attitude for a few moments, began to look over their shoulders in the direction taken by their retreating comrades; presently with a muttered curse or two and many scowls they turned and followed them. CHAPTER XXI. Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him. She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment. This man had been the spokesman. Vera started slightly as she looked at him.