“Sorry to disturb you, madame,” said the sergeant, civilly; “I am only obeying the orders of Monsieur le Maire. At the same time he has requested me to say that you need not be under any alarm, as he has no intention of disturbing you or your family. My orders are to search the château for a person calling himself Louis Lebeau, who has been traced to this mansion. There is every reason to believe that this Louis Lebeau is an Englishman and a spy; and my orders are to arrest him, and to place a guard round this house during the night.” Though Madame Coulancourt knew she was very pale, she replied, calmly— “You are at perfect liberty to search the château, Monsieur le Sergeant.” The sergeant bowed. “May I request, madame, to see this young lady’s brother, Monsieur Philip de Tourville?” Madame Coulancourt and Mabel looked at each other, and then at Jean Plessis, with a feeling of intense vexation and dismay; but Monsieur Plessis very quietly said— “You should have come yesterday, Sergeant Perrin; Monsieur de Tourville is gone, and we intend in a day or two to proceed, by water, as far as madame can conveniently travel, on our way to Paris.” “Oh! Monsieur de Tourville is gone, is he?” said Sergeant Perrin, without a change of countenance; “I was only desired to inquire if he was at the château. Did he take that worthy man Pierre Bompart with him?” “Certainly,” returned Monsieur Plessis. “Would you wish to refresh yourself and men, sergeant, after your long ride?” “I shall have no objection,” said the sergeant, civilly; “and if madame will order a chamber for the use of myself and men for the night, I shall feel obliged; it is not my wish or that of Monsieur le Maire to put the family to any inconvenience. No doubt in the morning Monsieur Gramont will have the pleasure of visiting madame himself, and set all things to rights.” So saying, Sergeant Perrin followed Monsieur Plessis and Julia from the chamber. For a moment mother and daughter sat without uttering a word, each busy with her own thoughts. Mabel was thinking what a lucky escape her brother and lover had had; and Madame Coulancourt was reflecting upon the many sorrows she had experienced, and dismayed at the thought of the trials apparently before her. “How very fortunate and providential,” said Mabel, coming close to her mother’s side, and taking her hand in hers with fond affection, “that our dear Julian got away before these horrid men came to look for him.” There were tears in the mother’s eyes as she bent down and kissed the pale cheek of her loving child. “I could wish, my beloved girl,” said madame, “that you had remained in happy England, great as has been my delight in pressing you to my heart after years of separation. Yet I would that you were there, and not exposed to the chances of detection.”