Edmond now saw several strange faces which gathered round to examine him with looks of curiosity. The young man experienced a singular sensation on beholding these ragged, wretched looking figures, and on finding himself compelled to tell them wherefore he was come, and that he intended to live among them as a brother, and to fight for their abused rights. Eustace clapped his hands in the greatest amazement, and cried out: "I should have sooner expected the day of judgment! you cannot conceive bow haughty and indignant this noble gentleman was, when I once attempted to speak and jest with his little lady sister! Yes, Abraham, that is a sign from God, to strengthen us in our good cause. If such a gentleman to whom nothing is wanting, to whom God has plentifully given whatever human wealth can procure, brought up and learned in their religion, if he should come over to us, and be willing to undergo the severity of the weather, storms, hunger, nakedness, and for the sake of God, perhaps, a disgraceful death: what are we then to do, whom they have plundered, ill used, whose children they have slaughtered, whose priests they have murdered; indeed these are signs which precede judgment?" In the same moment he began to scream out a psalm; but Mazel said: "Cease now, good brother, for we do not at all know yet, if brother Roland will accept him, he must first be brought before him; we have lately been several times too much deceived and the thing may be only a snare this time also, but Roland and Cavalier know directly what they are about, no one can deceive these." Edmond looked at him with the utmost contempt and exclaimed: "Conduct me to the wood, to Lord Roland!"-- "Brother Roland, if you please," replied the stout Mazel, "among us there are no Lords; God is our Lord.--Stephen! Favart!" Cried he, in a commanding tone, and out of the cliffs sprang forward a fair-haired young man, and behind him stole forth another, whom Edmond immediately recognised for the old huntsman, that he had met about twelve days before at his father's house. "Conduct the young man to brother Roland," said Mazel to both of them, and Edmond accompanied them in silence, still deeper into the solitude of the mountains. Favart glanced sideways at the new comrade, while they walked on together, at length he said: "Lately, but for that young lad, things would have turned out badly enough." "Who was he?" asked Edmond. "I do not know," replied the huntsman, "I should like very much to know who he is; he knew me, although I did not know him. I had abandoned the brethren for sixteen months, now I am again returned to them, principally because the young lad said in my ear that I was an apostate and a traitor to God; now, I know too, how the Lord of Basville, the Intendant thinks, and all the other godless men. They are blood-thirsty men."