"Did you go to listen to him?"

"No, monsieur, he slept here at the inn. The next day he had all the
villagers drawn up outside, and made them a grand speech. Had it not
been for his soldiers, I think he would not have left the village
alive."

"Then he made the good folk angry?"

"Monsieur, it was terrible. He said the Sieur Le Blanc was a traitor to
the king, that he had harboured one of the king's enemies, and that his
life was forfeit to the law. Any man was to shoot him like a dog. He
said all this, monsieur, and more, much more. Then he called in the
leading men one by one, and questioned them closely, but they knew
nothing."

"He should have asked you, Pierre."

"He did, monsieur, but he said I was a stupid dolt, with no more sense
than one of my own casks!" and the old man broke into a hearty laugh.

"You had a guest the night I went away; he left early in the morning.
Who was he?"

"I do not know, monsieur. He was a stranger who wished to learn all he
could about the chief folk in the district; but he was an enemy to the
Cause, and he did not carry away much information. Old Pierre was too
dense to understand his questions," and the old man chuckled again.

"Well," I said after a pause, "since it is useless going to the castle,