"Uhlans! Where?"

"_Dans le bois de la Mazure!_" (A half-mile from Villiers.)

"How do you know?"

"Saw their helmets glittering in the moonlight!"

"What rot! They're Frenchmen--dragoons. You don't know your own
countrymen when you see them! Did you approach them?"

"No."

"Then what in the name of common sense sent you flying down here to
scare us like that? You've got no business spreading panic broadcast.
If you don't turn around and scamper home, the way you came, I'll have
you arrested. _Allez!_"

My nerves had stood the strain as long as possible. This false alarm
had roused my anger and in a jiffy I could see how thousands of people
had been deceived, and were now erring homeless along the roads of
France!

"You can do what you like," I said, turning to the others, "but I've had
enough of this for one day--I'm going to bed. Good-night, gentlemen."

"The _chatelaine_ is going to bed, the _chatelaine_ is going to bed!"
"Let all go to bed," and similar phrases were echoed among the groups
and presently we all separated, after many cordial _a demain_.