"But you cannot hope to reach it to-night, monseigneur, through a
country that is unknown to you," he protested.

"I do not hope to reach it to-night. I will ride south until I come
upon some hamlet that will afford me shelter and, in the morning,
direction."

I left him with that, and set out at a brisk trot. Night had now
fallen, but the sky was clear, and a crescent moon came opportunely
if feebly to dispel the gloom.

I quitted the field, and went back until I gained a crossroad, where,
turning to the right, I set my face to the Pyrenees, and rode briskly
amain. That I had chosen wisely was proved when some twenty minutes
later. I clattered into the hamlet of Mirepoix, and drew up before
an inn flaunting the sign of a peacock - as if in irony of its
humbleness, for it was no better than a wayside tavern. Neither
stable-boy nor ostler was here, and the unclean, overgrown urchin
to whom I entrusted my horse could not say whether indeed Pere Abdon
the landlord would be able to find me a room to sleep in. I
thirsted, however; and so I determined to alight, if it were only to
drink a can of wine and obtain information of my whereabouts.

As I was entering the hostelry there was a clatter of hoofs in the
street, and four dragoons headed by a sergeant rode up and halted at
the door of the Paon. They seemed to have ridden hard and some
distance, for their horses were jaded almost to the last point of
endurance.

Within, I called the host, and having obtained a flagon of the best