"He's dragged himself behind the cloister. I can't see him. Be
careful, miss--"

Raymonde went round the old cloisters, to cut off the man's retreat,
and Albert soon lost sight of her. After a few minutes, as he did
not see her return, he became uneasy and, keeping his eye on the
ruins, instead of going down by the stairs he made an effort to
reach the ladder. When he had succeeded, he scrambled down and ran
straight to the cloisters near which he had seen the man last.
Thirty paces farther, he found Raymonde, who was searching with
Victor.

"Well?" he asked.

"There's no laying one's hands on him," replied Victor.

"The little door?"

"I've been there; here's the key."

"Still--he must--"

"Oh, we've got him safe enough, the scoundrel--He'll be ours in ten
minutes."

The farmer and his son, awakened by the shot, now came from the farm
buildings, which were at some distance on the right, but within the
circuit of the walls. They had met no one.

"Of course not," said Albert. "The ruffian can't have left the