'Ay, give it up!' he cried, shaking me almost fiercely by the
arm. 'Give it up, man! It will end badly, I tell you! In God's
name, give it up, and go home before worse comes of it.'

'Whatever comes of it,' I answered coldly, shaking his grasp from
my arm, and wondering much at this sudden fit of cowardice, 'I go
on. You, M. Fresnoy, may do as you please!'

He started and drew back from me; but he did not reply, nor did
he speak again. When I presently went off to fetch a ladder, of
the position of which I had made a note during the afternoon, he
accompanied me, and followed me back in the same dull silence to
the walk below the balcony. I had looked more than once and
eagerly at mademoiselle's window without any light or movement in
that quarter rewarding my vigilance; but, undeterred by this,
which might mean either that my plot was known, or that
Mademoiselle de la Vire distrusted me, I set the ladder softly
against the balcony, which was in deep shadow, and paused only to
give Fresnoy his last instructions. These were simply to stand
on guard at the foot of the ladder and defend it in case of
surprise; so that, whatever happened inside the chateau, my
retreat by the window might not be cut off.

Then I went cautiously up the ladder, and, with my sheathed sword
in my left hand, stepped over the balustrade. Taking one pace
forward, with fingers outstretched, I felt the leaded panes of
the window and tapped softly.

As softly the casement gave way, and I followed it. A hand which