After several expressions of gratitude on the lady’s part, and opposition on mine to Marguerite’s giving up her bed, this arrangement was agreed to. As the room was small, the Baroness immediately dismissed her male domestics: Baptiste was on the point of conducting them to the barn which he had mentioned when two young men appeared at the door of the cottage.

“Hell and Furies!” exclaimed the first starting back; “Robert, the house is filled with strangers!”

“Ha! There are my sons!” cried our host. “Why, Jacques! Robert! whither are you running, boys? There is room enough still for you.”

Upon this assurance the youths returned. The father presented them to the Baroness and myself: after which he withdrew with our domestics, while at the request of the two waiting-women, Marguerite conducted them to the room designed for their mistress.

The two newcomers were tall, stout, well-made young men, hard-featured, and very much sunburnt. They paid their compliments to us in few words, and acknowledged Claude, who now entered the room, as an old acquaintance. They then threw aside their cloaks in which they were wrapped up, took off a leathern belt to which a large cutlass was suspended, and each drawing a brace of pistols from his girdle laid them upon a shelf.

“You travel well-armed,” said I.

“True, Monsieur;” replied Robert. “We left Strasbourg late this evening, and ’tis necessary to take precautions at passing through this forest after dark. It does not bear a good repute, I promise you.”

“How?” said the Baroness; “Are there robbers hereabout?”

“So it is said, madame; for my own part, I have travelled through the wood at all hours, and never met with one of them.”