Montlouis alone heard Christopher's remark, and he smiled sadly. An instant afterward they heard steps rapidly approaching their room. The door opened, and Christopher reappeared without any bottle in his hand. "Well," said Pontcalec, "where is the wine?" "Good news," cried Christopher, without answering Pontcalec's inquiry, "good news, gentlemen." "What?" said Montlouis, starting. "Is the regent--dead?" "And Bretagne in revolt?" asked Du Couëdic. "No. I could not call that good news." "Well, what is it then?" said Pontcalec. "Monsieur de Chateauneuf has just ordered back to their barracks the hundred and fifty men who were under arms in the market-place, which had terrified everybody." "Ah," said Montlouis, "I begin to believe it will not take place this evening." At this moment the clock struck six. "Well," said Pontcalec, "good news is no reason for our remaining thirsty; go and fetch our wine." Christopher went out, and returned in ten minutes with a bottle. The friends who were still at table filled their glasses. "To Gaston's health," said Pontcalec, exchanging a meaning glance with his friends, to whom alone this toast was comprehensible. And they emptied their glasses, all except Montlouis, who stopped as he was lifting his to his lips. "Well, what is it?" said Pontcalec. "The drum," said Montlouis, stretching out his hand in the direction where he heard the sound. "Well," said Talhouet, "did you not hear what Christopher said? it is the troops returning." "On the contrary, it is the troops going out; that is not a retreat, but the générale." "The générale!" said Talhouet, "what on earth can that mean?" "No good," said Montlouis, shaking his head. "Christopher!" said Pontcalec, turning to the jailer. "Yes, gentlemen, I will find out what it is," said he, "and be back in an instant." He rushed out of the room, but not without carefully shutting the door behind him. The four friends remained in anxious silence. After a lapse of ten minutes the door opened, and the jailer reappeared, pale with terror. "A courier has just entered the castle court," said he; "he comes from Paris, he has delivered his dispatches, and immediately the guards were doubled, and the drums beat in all the barracks." "Oh, oh," said Montlouis, "that concerns us." "Some one is ascending the stairs," said the jailer, more pale and trembling than those to whom he spoke. In fact, they heard the butt ends of the muskets clanging on the stones of the corridor, and at the same time several voices were heard speaking hastily. The door opened, and the usher reappeared. "Gentlemen," said he, "how long do you desire to set your worldly affairs in order, and to undergo your sentence?" A profound terror froze even the hearers. "I desire," said Montlouis, "time for the sentence to reach Paris and return, approved by the regent." "I," said Talhouet, "only desire the time necessary for the commission to repent of its iniquity."