"The best in the duke de Nevers' stables."

"Henriette, I adore you;" and Marguerite threw her arms around her friend's neck. After which the two women separated, promising to see each other again next day and every day, at the same place and hour. They were the two charming and devoted creatures whom Coconnas, with so much reason, called the invisible bucklers.

CHAPTER LVII.

THE TRIAL.

"WELL, my brave friend," said Coconnas to la Mole, when left together at the close of their examination-" everything seems going on as favourably as we could desire it, and we shall ere long be at liberty."

"No doubt," answered la Mole; "and then the complaisance with which our jailers treat us abundantly proves that our noble friends are at work for us."

"To be sure they are!" rejoined Coconnas; "and how could a queen or a princess better employ their riches than in procuring our freedom. Now let us go over our lesson a little. We are to be conducted to the chapel, where we shall be left in charge of our turnkey; we each of us find a dagger concealed for our use in a spot described to us. Well, then I manage to inflict a severe-looking, but in reality innocent wound, on our guard, to make it appear we, being two, overpowered him. The next thing, we barricade the door of the chapel by piling the benches up against it, while our two princesses emerge from their hiding-places behind the altar, and Henriette opens the small side door!"

"And then," exclaimed la Mole, in accents of delight, "we

rush forth, and exchange our gloomy prison for the fine fresh air. A couple of vigorous horses are in waiting for us; a hasty embrace with our fair preservers, and away we go to Lorraine. True, I could have wished to be banished to Navarre, for that is her home; but as things are, we must be content at Nancy, which is but fifty leagues from Paris."

"But what ails you, my friend?"

'Nothing: merely an idea that came across me."

"I should think not a very agreeable one, by your becoming so pale."

"I was wondering within myself, why we were taken to the chapel at all.”

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Why," said Coconnas, "to pray, of course—what else?” "But," answered la Mole, "it is only customary for those who have undergone the torture or are condemned to death to pass the night in the chapel."

Truly," replied Coconnas, becoming pale in his turn; "this deserves our attention: let us speak to the worthy fellow I am to carve my name upon with my dagger.-Here, I say, turnkey!"

"Did you call?" said the man, who had been keeping watch at the top of the stairs.

"We want to know whether it is not arranged for us to escape from the chapel?"

"Hush!" said the turnkey, looking round him with terror. "Don't be frightened, no one can hear you--speak out.” "Yes: you will be conducted to the chapel, according to the custom that all persons condemned to death shall pass the night previous to their execution in prayer."

Coconnas and la Mole exchanged looks of surprise and alarm.

"You expect, then, that we shall be condemned to death?" "Why you think so yourselves, don't you? else why take the trouble to make arrangements for your flight?"

"There is reason in what he says," said Coconnas.

"We are playing a critical game, it seems," replied la Mole. "And do I risk nothing?" said the jailer. "Suppose, in the excitement of the moment, you were to wound me in the wrong place, strike your dagger an inch or two deeper than you intended!"

"Mordi!" exclaimed Coconnas, "I only wish we could

change places, and I had nothing more to fear than you have. But hark! I fancy some one is approaching."

"Oh, pray, pray gentlemen, get into your cells— make haste!"

“And when will our trial take place?”

"To-morrow at latest, but don't be uneasy; the friends who are interested for you shall be duly informed."

"Then let us bid adieu to each other for the present, and to these detested walls for ever!"

The friends exchanged an affectionate embrace, and each retired to his place of confinement-la Mole sighing, Coconnas humming an air.

Nothing unusual occurred until seven o'clock in the evening. Night descended, dark and rainy, on the donjon of Vincennes; just such weather as would have favoured an escape. Coconnas' supper was brought, and eaten with his ordinary appetite; and he had well nigh composed himself to sleep, while listening to the loud murmurs of the wind, and the splashing rain as it drove heavily against the walls, when he was roused by a sound of persons passing to and fro from the chamber of la Mole.

In vain did Coconnas strain his listening powers-he could distinguish nothing. The time passed on-no person came near him.

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Strange," murmured he, "that la Mole should receive so many visits, while I seem quite forgotten! perhaps la Mole felt himself suddenly taken ill, and called out for assistance. What can it mean?"

An hour and a half was thus consumed in vainly watching for some clearance to this mystery, and Coconnas was beginning to feel both angry and sleepy, when the sudden turning of the lock made him spring to his feet.

"All's right," said he, mentally; "they are coming, no doubt, to conduct us to the chapel, without any previous condemnation. Mordi! the night is most favourable-dark as a pit; I only hope the horses they give us will be able to find their way.

He was just about to ask some jocular question of the turnkey, who had by that time entered, when he observed the man put his finger to his lips, and roll his great eyes in a most significant manner.

Coconnas then perceived a dim outline of persons following the jailer, and quickly distinguished two figures wearing helmets, on which the candle, smoking and flickering in the strong current of air rushing up the staircase, cast a reflection. Hallo, hallo!" exclaimed he-"what is the meaning of all this?-where are we going to?"

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The jailer replied only with a sigh, which resembled a

groan.

"Follow the halberdiers, sir," said a voice, which at once made Coconnas aware that the soldiers were accompanied by an officer of some kind.

"And where is M. de la Mole?" inquired the Piedmontese "what has become of him?"

"Follow the halberdiers!" repeated the same voice that had previously issued the same command.

Further remonstrance was unavailing; without another word, therefore, Coconnas began to descend the spiral staircase. At the first-floor the guards stopped; the door was opened, and a number of persons arrayed as judges and seated in judicial order presented themselves, while in the background Coconnas discerned the dim outline of a man with naked arms and a look that made a cold dew start to his forehead.

Still concealing his alarm, he entered the chamber with an easy, degagée air, his head thrown a little on one side, and his hand on his hip, after the most approved manner of court gallants.

As Coconnas advanced, he perceived la Mole sitting on a bench near the judges and officials.

The guards led Coconnas to the front of the tribunal; arrived there, he stopped, turned round, and smilingly nodded to la Mole; then remained in close attention to the proceedings of the court.

"What is your name?" inquired the president.

"Marc Hannibal de Coconnas," replied the Piedmontese, with gentlemanly grace, "count of Montpantier, Chenaux, and other places; but I presume you don't wish to know all that."

"Where were you born?"

"At Saint Colomban, near Suza."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven years and three months." "Good!" answered the president.

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"He seems to be pleased with my account of myself," murmured Coconnas.

"Now, then," continued the president, "what was your motive in quitting the service of the duke d'Alençon?"

"To rejoin my friend, M. de la Mole, who, when I quitted M. d'Alençon, had also left him some days."

"And what were you doing when arrested, the day of the chase at Saint Germain?"

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Why, hunting, of course!" replied Coconnas.

"The king was also present at that chase, and there he was first seized with violent illness."

"I know nothing about that; I was not near the king myself, and I did not even know he had been taken ill."

The judges regarded each other with an air of incredulity. "Oh! you were ignorant of his majesty's illness, were

you?"

'Yes, completely so, and I regret to hear of it; for though the king of France is not my king, I still pity him, and feel for him very much."

"Really?"

"On my honour I do. I don't say as much for his brother, the duke d'Alençon, for there, I must confess

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"We have nothing to do with the duke d'Alençon, our business is with his majesty--___”

"Whose very humble servant I have already told you I am," answered Coconnas.

"Then being his servant, as you say, be pleased to tell us what you know relative to a certain wax figure?"

"Oh! what we are going over that story again, are we?" "If you have no objection."

"Pardi! on the contrary, I prefer it-go on."

"How came this statue to be found in M. de la Mole's possession?"

"M. de la Mole's! No, no, you mean in René's possession." "Then you acknowledge the existence of such an image?" "I don't know whether it exists or not-I could tell you better if I saw it."