“I know not his name, but, once free, I helped myself to a sword from one of the dead men, and explained how I stood. The Princess was there in her litter, and she herself told me that she was for Orleans but that Monsieur de Lanoy had taken the young Prince on to Poitou. She wished me God-speed on my errand to the Constable, Coqueville gave me one of the captured horses, and lent me ten écus--and you can guess the rest. But now, messieurs, here is the forest of Russy, and here is the Beuvron, and here we must part, for I lie to-night at Bracieux, and to-morrow must be with the Constable.” He shook our hands, thanked us again, and, turning toward the northeast, trotted off into the forest. CHAPTER X THE VISION OF THE WOOD WE had reined up under a huge yoke-elm, whose spreading branches threw a mottled shade on the snow at our feet, and watched Ponthieu in silence until he went quite out of our sight. The same thoughts were running in our minds. Perhaps something too of the same despair had seized us, a presentiment that we were casting away our lives for nothing. Madame de Condé had at one stroke, by changing her plans, gone straight into the lion’s mouth, and had increased tenfold the difficulty of our emprise, if not totally destroying all chances of its success. And yet, now that I look back upon things, I cannot blame her. She was a woman, after all, and guided more by the heart than the head. But then, as we stood there, I railed against the caprice that was like to cost us all our lives. “Did ever you hear the like?” I burst out, and Marcilly laughed bitterly as he answered: “We go like lambs to the slaughter, perchance,” and then he looked me straight in the face, saying: “Gaspard! You see that track! It leads straight to the high road to Blois. Turn rein and ride there, and thence take horse to Poitou. There is blood in the air, friend, but it must not be yours. Leave me! I will do this alone.” “Monsieur,” I said, a flush rising to my face, and, as God is my witness, the words I uttered came straight from my heart, “Monsieur, I have the honor to be joined with you in this thing, and I stay with you till the last, for good or ill.” “Think!” he said, “and draw back while there is time. Where are Renaudie, Castelnau, and Ste. Marie? Where are a hundred brave hearts we knew and loved?” “Where we shall be if we fail. I will not go.” “Your lands are broad, Vibrac. You are young, and life is dear.” “My life is my own, and neither my lands nor yours of Duras were won with dishonor. And for the risk--I--I but stake myself, while you----”