“Well done!” laughed Thibault, “here is one at least who did not live long to enjoy the result of his murderous act.” Then, contracting his brow, he muttered to himself, in a low voice, and this time without laughing: “Is there perhaps, after all, what people call a Providence?” Lestocq’s death was not difficult to account for. He had probably been executing some order for his master that night, and on the road between Mont-Gobert and Longpont, had been attacked by wolves. He had defended himself with the same knife with which he had wounded the Baron, for Thibault found the knife a few paces off, at a spot where the ground showed traces of a severe struggle; at last, being disarmed, the ferocious beasts had dragged him into the hollow, and there devoured him. Thibault was becoming so indifferent to everything that he felt neither pleasure nor regret, neither satisfaction nor remorse, at Lestocq’s death; all he thought was, that it simplified matters for the Countess, as she would now only have her husband upon whom she need revenge herself. Then he went and found a place where the rocks afforded him the best shelter from the wind, and prepared to spend his day there in peace. Towards mid-day, he heard the horn of the Lord of Vez, and the cry of his hounds; the mighty huntsman was after game, but the chase did not pass near enough to Thibault to disturb him. At last the night came. At nine o’clock Thibault rose and set out for the Castle of Mont-Gobert. He found the breach, followed the path he knew, and came to the little hut where Lisette had been awaiting him on the night when he had come in the guise of Raoul. The poor girl was there this evening, but alarmed and trembling. Thibault wished to carry out the old traditions and tried to kiss her, but she sprang back with visible signs of fear. “Do not touch me,” she said, “or I shall call out.” “Oh, indeed! my pretty one,” said Thibault, “you were not so sour-tempered the other day with the Baron Raoul.” “May be not,” said the girl, “but a great many things have happened since the other day.” “And many more to happen still,” said Thibault in a lively tone. “I think,” said the waiting-maid in a mournful voice, “that the climax is already reached.” Then, as she went on in front. “If you wish to come,” she added, “follow me.” Thibault followed her; Lisette, without the slightest effort at concealment, walked straight across the open space that lay between the trees and the castle. “You are courageous to-day,” said Thibault, “and supposing some one were to see us....” “There is no fear now,” she answered, “the eyes that could have seen us are all closed.” Although he did not understand what the young girl meant by these words, the tone in which they were spoken made Thibault shiver.