But it was all over with the young man; he rolled his haggard eyes twice or thrice, stretched out his arms, while letting go his sword, and fell his whole length on the floor, without uttering a word. He was dead. "Assassin!" his brother screamed, as he rushed sword in hand on the Count. "Traitor!" the latter replied, as he parried the thrust, and sent the other's sword flying to the ceiling. "Stay, stay!" the Duke cried, as he rushed half mad with grief between the two men, who had seized each other round the waist, and had both drawn their daggers. But this tardy interference was useless; the Count, who was endowed with a far from common strength, had easily succeeded in freeing himself from the young man's grasp, and had thrown him on the ground, where he held him by placing his knee on his chest. All at once a mighty rumour of arms and horses was heard in the house, and the hurried steps of several men hurrying up the stairs became audible. "Ah!" the Duke exclaimed, with a ferocious joy, "I believe my vengeance is at hand, at last!" The Count, not deigning to reply to his enemy, turned to the sailors. "Be off, my lads!" he shouted in a voice of thunder. They hesitated. "He goes if you wish to save me," he added. "Boarders away!" Michael yelled, as he dragged away his comrade; and the two men seizing their musquetoons by the barrel, as if to use them as clubs in case of need, and to clear the way, rushed into the passage when they disappeared. The Count listened anxiously, he heard oaths and the sound of an obstinate struggle; then, at the expiration of a moment, a distant cry, that summons which sailors know so well, reached him. Then his face grew calmer, he returned his sword to its sheath and coolly awaited the newcomers, muttering to himself-- "They have escaped, one chance is left me." CHAPTER III. THE ARREST. Almost at the same moment ten or twelve men burst into the room rather than entered it, the noise that continued outside let it be guessed that a great number of others was standing on the stairs and in the passages, ready, were it required, to come to the assistance of the others. All these men were armed, and it was easy to recognise them at once as guards of the King, or rather of His Eminence the Cardinal. Only two of them, with crafty looks and squinting eyes, dressed in black like ushers, had no visible weapons; these, in all probability were more to be feared than the others, for beneath their feline obsequiousness they doubtless concealed an implacable will to do evil. One of these two men held some papers in his right hand, he advanced two or three paces, cast a suspicious glance around him, and then took off his cap with a courteous bow. "In the King's name! gentleman," he said in a quick sharp voice. "What do you want?" the Count de Barmont asked, advancing resolutely towards him.