Then the man who had been brought forward to be sent along the same road as the rest said-- "I do not cry for life; but this I say; it was I, aye, I and my fellow here, Amanieu, who provided the hundred livres, without which the seven would not have been set free." "You provided it?" "Aye, under the Captain's daughter. It was we who did it. If that goes to abate our sentence--well." "Father, spare these two," pleaded Jean. "As you will, Jean; but there is space for two more crosses. Would--would I could cut an eleventh, and that a big one, for the Gros Guillem." Then murmurs arose. The peasants, their love of revenge, their lust for slaughter whetted, clamoured for the death of the last two of the band. But Jean was firm. "My father surrenders them to me," he said. "Then let them run on the _mal-pas_," shouted one of the peasants. "Good!" said the brigand Roger; "give me a plank and I will run on it, so will Amanieu." Ogier looked ruefully at the crosses. "'Tis a pity," said he. "I intended to cut a dozen." If the visitor to the Eglise de Guillem will look, to this day, rudely hacked in the floor, he will see the ten crosses: he will see further--but we will leave the rest to the sequel. CHAPTER XII. THREE CROSSES. NO sooner had Noémi left _l'église_ than with her teeth she tore the red cross off her left shoulder in an ebullition of wrathful resentment. She rode, attended by the two servants of the Tardes, to La Roque Gageac without speaking. Her mind was busy. It was clear to her that she could not remain with her aunt after that affair at the Devil's Table. The Bishop of Sarlat was not an energetic ruler; he might demur to making an expedition against Domme, doubt the expediency of attempting reprisals against so terrible a man as Le Gros Guillem, and all for the sake of a Jew, but he could hardly allow her, who had been the mover in the robbery, to remain in one of his towns. It would not be well for her to compromise the Tarde family. She must go to her mother at Domme. On arriving at La Roque, she told Jacques and Jean Tarde what she had done. Jacques burst out laughing. "Well done, Cousin Noémi! I am glad our money has gone to some good purpose." She flushed to her temples. Jean del' Peyra had not welcomed her with commendation. He had received what she had done in an ungracious manner. She resented this. She was bitter at heart against him. That was the last time she would move a finger to help a Del' Peyra.