"
He placed his gun gently against the headboard behind which Marie was
standing among the folds of the green serge, and stooped to see if
there was room for him under the bed. He would infallibly have seen
her feet, but she, rendered desperate by her danger, seized his gun,
jumped quickly into the room, and threatened him. The count broke into
a peal of laughter when he caught sight of her, for, in order to hide
herself, Marie had taken off her broad-brimmed Chouan hat, and her
hair was escaping, in heavy curls, from the lace scarf which she had
worn on leaving home.
"Don't laugh, monsieur le comte; you are my prisoner. If you make the
least movement, you shall know what an offended woman is capable of
doing."
As the count and Marie stood looking at each other with differing
emotions, confused voices were heard without among the rocks, calling
out, "Save the Gars! spread out, spread out, save the Gars!"
Barbette's voice, calling to her boy, was heard above the tumult with
very different sensations by the two enemies, to whom Barbette was
really speaking instead of to her son.
"Don't you see the Blues?" she cried sharply. "Come here, you little
scamp, or I shall be after you. Do you want to be shot? Come, hide,
quick!"
While these things took place rapidly a Blue jumped into the marshy
courtyard.
"Beau-Pied!" exclaimed Mademoiselle de Verneuil.
Pages:
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292