A Courier of Fortune

The hot noontide sun was pouring down into the market place of Morvaix and in the shadow cast by the great Cross of St. Jean in the centre, a handsome but very soberly dressed c...

Some two or three hours after the scene in the market place a girl sat at her spinning wheel on the terrace of the Maison de Malincourt, opposite the head of the stately flight...

Scarcely had Gabrielle left the terrace before Lucette’s wheel stopped and she began to think instead of work. Little frowns and smiles chased each other alternately across her...

There was one very bitter heart in the maison on the following morning. Jacques Dauban had spent a bad night, groaning over aching bones and head, brooding over his wrongs and s...

Lucette had had her own troubles as well. Never before had such a mischance occurred as that of the previous evening in the pine-walk; and the fact that she was merely tricking...

Gabrielle’s heart beat very fast in the few moments she stood trying vainly to find words to speak, and she was conscious of little save a whirl of strange emotions in which pre...

Distressed as Gerard had been by the necessity to deceive Gabrielle, into which he had allowed himself to be drawn, he had no such qualms in regard to her uncle. He was convince...

De Proballe, anxious that Gerard should have the fullest opportunities to push his suit with Gabrielle, soon made an excuse to leave them together. He pleaded that he must send...

Pascal was all laughter and sallies as he led the way up to their apartments, but Gerard was in no such mood. He was very serious and full of misgivings at the course things wer...

To Gerard the turn of events was profoundly disturbing. He had heard from both Lucette and de Proballe that Denys had suspicions of the reasons which were supposed to have broug...

“I am not likely to have forgotten. Do you wish it repeated now?” Gabrielle smiled confidently at the tone in which this was said. Gerard spoke as the challenger, not the challe...

The Duke carried away from Malincourt a heart bitter with jealousy and black with anger, and he vented his passion upon de Proballe, whom he chose to regard as the cause of all...

Well placed on rising ground just within the northern gate, it had in former times been a strong fortress, at once overawing Morvaix itself and commanding the approach from the...

Of all present Gabrielle was by far the most agitated. The Duke, perplexed, suspicious, and bitterly hostile to the man who had stepped between him and his passion, was chiefly...

Gabrielle witnessed the attack upon Gerard with almost breathless fear lest he should be wounded or even killed in the fight; but when she saw him led away a prisoner every feel...

In the first place Gerard’s plan to send a second messenger in hot haste to Cambrai, urging his cousin in command of the Bourbon troops there to hurry on to Morvaix, had been de...

Gabrielle heard Lucette’s story with intense interest, and saw that with help from Pascal outside it might be possible to get Gerard away from Morvaix without concealing him fir...

While all these plans were being hurried forward for his release, Gerard took his imprisonment very philosophically. There was but one circumstance which caused him uneasiness--...

It was indeed a desperate situation in which Gerard and Gabrielle found themselves, and for a few moments Gabrielle could do no more than cling to her lover and stare at the doo...

“And I would trust few men of Morvaix with anything,” returned Dubois. “I am minded to go and hear for myself. While that din rages outside I could get up unheard and would soon...

“Ho, it’s you again and Master Pierre, is it? You don’t fool me twice with your tale of captain. You are our prisoners now.” It was the sergeant, Vauban, whom Dubois had knocked...

Pascal dressed himself in the uniform of one of the Castle troopers, and his intention was to pass as a soldier who had been merrymaking in the city and, having just heard of th...

The Governor returned to the Castle in a somewhat less violent mood. The report that the fugitives had been seen and identified at Crevasse was so precise and definite that he w...

Jacques Dauban, in his pleasure at escaping from Antoine’s very angry threats, hurried forward to the house with Lucette, unsuspiciously, and said little beyond a word or two of...

There was unfortunately no reason to doubt the correctness of the ominous news, and for a moment Gerard looked very grave when he learnt that the approaching force numbered betw...

The Governor was furiously angry, and as sternly resolved as ever to carry his purpose through; nothing should be suffered to come between him and it; but the last few hours had...

“This is not a very pleasant duty of mine, monsieur, but you’ll understand it is a duty. I am here in place of Captain Boutelle, and my instructions are not to allow any one to...

The officer stared with growing anger, first at Dubois, then back at Gerard, and lastly at the four of his men who had moved away and left him and the one Castle soldier alone i...

Some three or four hours after the rioting in the market place, Pascal and Lucette, who had been hurried to the Castle from Babillon’s house, were led to the Great Hall of Audie...

The week that followed was a wild one indeed for Morvaix, and the citizens, freed suddenly from the blighting curse of the Tiger’s rule, gave themselves up, all classes alike, t...