"True, he will be free to-morrow!" rejoined Bertrande. "To-morrow, dear, we will begin again our peaceful life of former days." "Postpone your caresses till to-morrow, too," observed the fierce jailer, "for now you must leave." Bertrande kissed once more the hand which Arnauld du Thill held out to her royally, waved a last adieu to him, and preceded the jailer from the cell. As the latter was closing the door, Arnauld called him back. "May I not have a light, a lamp?" he asked. "Yes, to be sure, just as you have every evening," said the jailer; "that is, until curfew,--nine o'clock. By our Lady! we don't treat you as harshly as Arnauld du Thill; and then, too, your master, the Comte de Montgommery, is so generous! You are well taken care of to oblige him. In five minutes I will bring your candle, friend Martin." The light was brought to him very shortly by a turnkey, who withdrew at once, wishing the prisoner good-night, and reminding him anew to extinguish it at curfew. Arnauld du Thill, when he found himself alone, quickly removed the linen suit that he wore, and clothed himself no less speedily in one of the famous suits, composed of a brown jerkin and yellow tricot small-clothes, which he had discovered in Martin-Guerre's chest. Then he burned his former costume piece by piece in the flame of his candle, and mingled the ashes with those which were lying on the hearth. It was all done in less than an hour; and he was enabled to extinguish his light and go virtuously to bed even before the curfew tolled. "Now, we will see!" said he. "I seem to have been beaten before the court; but it will be very pleasant to succeed in deriving the means of victory from my defeat." CHAPTER II A CRIMINAL'S SPEECH AGAINST HIMSELF We can readily understand that sleep hardly visited Arnauld du Thill's eyes that night. He lay stretched upon his straw litter, his eyes wide open, entirely engrossed with reckoning up his chances, laying plans, and marshalling his resources. The scheme he had devised, of substituting himself for poor Martin-Guerre once more, was an audacious one doubtless, but its very impudence endowed it with some chance of success. Since luck favored him so marvellously, should he let his own audacity betray him? No; he quickly adopted the course he was to follow, and left himself free to adapt his movements to events as they might shape themselves, and to unforeseen circumstances. When day broke, he examined his costume, found it unexceptionable, and devoted himself anew to acquiring Martin-Guerre's gait and attitudes. His mimicry of his double's good-natured demeanor was so perfect as almost to be exaggerated. It must be confessed that the miserable blackguard would have made an excellent comedian. About eight o'clock in the morning, the cell-door grated on its hinges. Arnauld du Thill suppressed a startled movement, and assumed an air of tranquil indifference.