The young men looked at each other with an expression of fear.

“You conducted him to the wounded man and you had time to observe him, and perhaps you would know him again were you to meet him.”

“Yes, yes!” cried both young men.

“Very well; if ever you meet him again, wherever it may be, whether on the high road or in the street or in a church, anywhere that he or you may be, put your foot on his neck and crush him without pity, without mercy, as you would crush a viper or a scorpion! destroy him utterly and quit him not until he is dead; the lives of five men are not safe, in my opinion, as long as he is on the earth.”

And without adding another word, Grimaud, profiting by the astonishment and terror into which he had thrown his auditors, rushed from the room.  Two minutes later the thunder of a horse’s hoofs was heard upon the road; it was Grimaud, on his way to Paris.  When once in the saddle Grimaud reflected on two things; first, that at the pace he was going his horse would not carry him ten miles, and secondly, that he had no money.  But Grimaud’s ingenuity was more prolific than his speech, and therefore at the first halt he sold his steed and with the money obtained from the purchase took post horses.

34

On the Eve of Battle.

Raoul was aroused from his sombre reflections by his host, who rushed into the apartment crying out, “The Spaniards! the Spaniards!”

That cry was of such importance as to overcome all preoccupation.  The young men made inquiries and ascertained that the enemy was advancing by way of Houdin and Bethune.

While Monsieur d’Arminges gave orders for the horses to be made ready for departure, the two young men ascended to the upper windows of the house and saw in the direction of Marsin and of Lens a large body of infantry and cavalry.  This time it was not a wandering troop of partisans; it was an entire army.  There was therefore nothing for them to do but to follow the prudent advice of Monsieur d’Arminges and beat a retreat.  They quickly went downstairs.  Monsieur d’Arminges was already mounted.  Olivain had ready the horses of the young men, and the lackeys of the Count de Guiche guarded carefully between them the Spanish prisoner, mounted on a pony which had been bought for his use.  As a further precaution they had bound his hands.

The little company started off at a trot on the road to Cambrin, where they expected to find the prince.  But he was no longer there, having withdrawn on the previous evening to La Bassee, misled by false intelligence of the enemy’s movements.  Deceived by this intelligence he had concentrated his forces between Vieille-Chapelle and La Venthie; and after a reconnoissance along the entire line, in company with Marshal de Grammont, he had returned and seated himself before a table, with his officers around him.  He questioned them as to the news they had each been charged to obtain, but nothing positive had been learned.  The hostile army had disappeared two days before and seemed to have gone out of existence.