“André,” he said with a sly wink, “it’ll be a fine day’s sport. What do you say?” “We shall have everything ready by the morning, Sieur De Marsac,” he said dryly. Then he turned to the old Count and said, “We must drive this monster to its doom.” With that he grinned and walked away. That was final, I knew. I went off to the barn and busied myself during the afternoon with odds and ends that interested me. The day passed and the night came. We lighted the candles. Until the time for bed we sat in the great hall exchanging worthless gossip. I dragged myself upstairs first, tired and weary. But I managed to keep awake until I heard the others follow one by one. When I thought them fast asleep, I crept noiselessly into André’s room and sat softly down on the side of his bed. To my surprise he had not closed his eyes. “I was expecting you, Henri,” he said. “I came to speak to you about De Marsac,” I began. “Don’t you think he is bent on harm?” “Are you worried?” he asked. “I have good reason to be,” I replied. “It was only by a lucky chance that I was not killed today.” He sat bolt upright in the bed and took me by the arm. “By him?” he demanded. “Yes.” And I told him of the happenings in the woods. “That is going too far,” he said. “Tomorrow must be his last day among us. He must forth from the house.” “Why does he linger here, André?” I asked. “Do you know?” “I can only guess,” he answered. “It is to get possession of our estate,” I ventured, “—ours and the estate of the Count of Gramont. There is a plot hatching. The men who set upon me in the woods are in it. And I believe that De Marsac is the leader.” “I rather thought,” said he, “that he was an agent of the King.” “He is that and more too,” I replied. “André, you may take my word for it. De Marsac wants this place for himself.” He made no answer. We sat there in the dark for a long time. At length he laid his hand upon my shoulder. “Henri,” he said, “we must give the matter deep thought. But this I promise you, come what may, after the boar hunt tomorrow I shall drive this schemer from the house.” With that I went slowly to my room. My sleep was fitful. All night long I dreamed the wildest dreams so that when morning came I was not half rested. I leaped from my bed with my heart thumping, for there below I heard the cocks crowing in the yard. There was a clamor of men shouting to each other. The horses’ hoofs clattered on the ground. There was the clang of steel against steel. The animals snorted as they sensed the excitement in the air. And above all I heard André’s voice shout a command. I knew that it was high time for me to be about and stirring. I slipped down the stairs fastening my belt as I went. In less time than it takes to tell I was across the yard and was leading out the roan which I had always claimed as my own.