arquebusiers, or, should he prefer it, fifty horsemen in all.  Some of its owners have in times of peril raised a force of thrice that strength.  So you will see that the Lord of la Villar is not an unimportant personage.  The estate is held at present by a royal intendant.  You will find in that box an order for him to place you in possession of the castle and estate whensoever you may present yourself, and as at the present moment your services can be spared from the army, it might be as well to visit it at once, if only for a few days.  Possibly the cardinal did not inform you that he has ordered that the regiment that has been just recruited shall bear the name of the regiment of Poitou, and has appointed you to its command.”

This news gave much greater pleasure to Hector than did the gift of the fief, or the rank that accompanied it.

“Will you please give my earnest thanks to his excellency,” he said, “and assure him that he can depend upon my devotion.”

When Hector returned to the Hotel Conde he found that the soldiers who had started with him from Rocroi had all arrived, bringing with them the twelve horses that had been left on the road; four of these were to be handed over to each of the officers.  The division was just being made as he entered the courtyard, each officer taking the four he had ridden by the way.

Paolo at once came up to him.  “What are we to do with these horses, master?” he asked, with an air of bewilderment.

“We have now seven of them, counting mine, the one I led, and that you rode when you set out.”

“I must see where I can bestow them for the present until we think the matter over;” and going up to one of Conde’s officers, he asked him if he could recommend a place where he might leave safely four horses for a time.

“The auberge of the Pome d’Or is but a street from here, monsieur; it has good stables, and the host is an honest man, which is not often the case with men of his class.  When the stables here are full the prince often engages extra stalls there for the use of his guests.  I will send four men with the horses at once, if such is your pleasure.”

“You will greatly oblige me by doing so,” Hector replied.  Having seen the horses safely and comfortably lodged at the inn, Hector returned to the hotel with Paolo.

“You are not tired, I hope, Paolo?” he asked as they walked back.

“No, master; we have taken three days to do what you did in one, and have fatigued neither ourselves nor our beasts.”

“That is well, for I am going to start on a journey this afternoon, that is to say, if I can manage to make my arrangements.”

“May I ask where you are going, master?”

“You will be surprised to hear that I am going to visit my estates in Poitou.”

Paolo looked sharply up to see whether Hector was joking.  Seeing that he looked serious, he said hesitatingly, “But I did not know, master, that you had estates in Poitou.  I never heard you speak of them.”