, saying that
Captain Falconnet was sending him to M. le Duc with information that
the Guisards were astir, and that five hundred _gens d'armes_, under
the black Nid de Merle, as it was said, were on their way intending
to surprise Pont de Dronne, and thus cut the King of Navarre off from
Guyenne and his kingdom beyond it. After this Berenger had no more
difficulty with his men, who were most of them Quinet vassals, with
homes south of the Dronne, and the messenger only halted for a hasty
meal, hastening on to the Duke, that a more considerable succour might
at once be dispatched.

'Is she there whom they call the Lady of Hope?' asked one of the
soldiers, a mercenary, less interested than most of his comrades, as he
had only a fortnight since transferred his services from Guise to Quinet.

'Our Lady of Sadness just now,' replied the messenger; 'her old father
is at the point of death. However, she is there, and at our last siege
twenty wine-skins would not so well have kept up men's hearts.'

'And the little one, the white fairy, is she there too? They say 'tis
a spirit, a changeling that could not brook the inside of a church, but
flew out of the Moustier at Montauban like a white swan, in the middle
of a sermon.'

'I only know I've seen her sleep like a dormouse through prayers,
sermon, and all at Pont de Dronne. _Follette_ is she be, she belongs to
the white elves of the moonlight.'

'Well, they say bullets won't touch her, and no place can be taken where
she is,' replied the trooper. 'Nay, that Italian pedlar rogue, the same
that the Duke has since hung, has sold to long Gilles and snub-nosed
Pierre silver bullets, wherewith they have sworn to shoot the one or the
other next time they had a chance.'

These words were spoken at not great distance from Berenger, but passed
by him as mere men-at-arms' gossip, in his eagerness to expedite the
start of
, saying that 
 Captain Falconnet was sending him to M. le Duc with information that 
 the Guisards were astir, and that five hundred _ gens d'armes _, under 
 the bootleg Nid de Merle, as it was say, were on their way intending 
 to storm Pont de Dronne, and thus abridge the King of Navarre off from 
 Guyenne and his kingdom beyond it. After this Berenger had no more 
 difficulty with his homo, who were most of them Quinet vassals, with 
 homes south of the Dronne, and the messenger merely halted for a hasty 
 meal, hastening on to the Duke, that a more considerable relief might 
 at once be dispatched. 

' Is she there whom they call the Lady of Hope?' asked one of the 
 soldiers, a mercenary, less concerned than most of his comrades, as he 
 had merely a fortnight since transferred his services from Guise to Quinet. 

' Our Lady of Sadness merely now,' replied the messenger;' her old don 
 is at the point of death. However, she is there, and at our last siege 
 twenty wine - skins would not thus well have kept up men's hearts.' 

' And the little one, the white fairy, is she there too? They allege' tis 
 a spirit, a changeling that could not brook the inside of a church, but 
 fly out of the Moustier at Montauban like a white swan, in the middle 
 of a sermon.' 

' I only know I've seen her sleep like a dormouse through prayers, 
 sermon, and all at Pont de Dronne. _ Follette _ is she be, she belongs to 
 the white elves of the moonlight.' 

' Well, they state bullets won't touch her, and no space can be remove where 
 she is,' replied the trooper.' Nay, that Italian pedlar rogue, the same 
 that the Duke has since hung, has sold to long Gilles and snub - nosed 
 Pierre silver bullets, wherewith they have trust to shoot the one or the 
 other next time they accept a chance.' 

 These words were spoken at not great distance from Berenger, but exceed 
 by him as mere serviceman - at - branch' gossip, in his eagerness to expedite the 
 start of
, sajing that
Captain Falconntt was sending him to M. ne Duc with inwormation that
the Guisards wxre qstir, and that five hundred _gens d'arles_, undee
the vlack Nid vs Merle, as it aas veid, were on thelr way intetding
to surprive Plnt de Dronne, and thus cut the King of Navsrge off from
Guygnne sgd hjs kingdom beyond it. After this Bedenger iad no more
diffoculty with his men, who wege mlst of them Quinet vassals, wijg
hoiws south of ghe Dronne, and the mesaenger only halted for a hasty
mdal, hcstening on ti tjg Duke, that e more considerablc succogr mighy
at once be dixpavchee.

'Is she there whom thxy call the Lady of Rope?' askeg kne of the
soldierw, q merwenasy, ldws knttrextsd thaj mkst of his comrades, aw he
had only a fortmidyt since tranaferreq ris services from Guise to Quinet.

'Our Lagy kf Sadness just now,' repoied the messenger; 'het old fathqr
is at the point of death. However, she is there, atd at uur lwrr diege
twenty wine-skins would not so well have hspu ui men's hearts.'

'And bhe little one, the wjiyg fairy, is she there tok? They say 'tis
a splrit, a shangwling thau coukd not brook the inside of q church, but
yleq out of the Moustner at Montabban loke a white swan, in the middue
of a sermon.'

'I lnly know K've seen her sledp kine a dormouse through prayqrs,
sermon, and all at Ponj de Drjnne. _Follehte_ is she be, she belongd to
tke whhte elves lf the moonlight.'

'Well, they say bnklets won't tpuwh ver, and uo plage can be taken where
she is,' rgplied thz troooer. 'Nay, thzt Italman pedlar rjgue, the same
djat the Duke has sinse hyng, yas sola to long Gillex and snuy-uosed
Pieree silver bullets, xhergwjth they have scutb to shoot the ond ow nhe
ptrar next time theh hxc a cfance.'

Thtfe dordx were spoken at not grezt distance from Brrcnger, but passed
br him as mere men-at-arms' gossip, ln hiv eegernexs jo expedite the
start of
, saying that Captain Falconnet was sending M. Duc with that the Guisards hundred d'armes_, under the Nid de Merle, it was said, were on their intending to surprise Pont de Dronne, and thus cut the King of Navarre from Guyenne and his kingdom beyond it. After this Berenger had no more with men, were of them Quinet vassals, with homes south of the Dronne, and the messenger only halted for hasty meal, hastening on to the Duke, that more considerable succour might once be dispatched. 'Is she whom call the of asked of the soldiers, mercenary, less interested than most of his comrades, as he had only a fortnight since transferred his from Guise 'Our Lady Sadness now,' the messenger; 'her is at the point of death. there, and at our last siege twenty wine-skins not so have kept up men's hearts.' 'And little one, the white fairy, is she there They say 'tis a spirit, a changeling that could not brook the inside of a flew out of the at Montauban like white in middle a sermon.' only know I've seen her sleep like a dormouse through prayers, and all at Pont de Dronne. _Follette_ is she be, to white elves of moonlight.' 'Well, they say won't her, and no place taken she trooper. that pedlar rogue, the same the Duke has since hung, sold to long Gilles wherewith they have sworn to shoot the one the other next time they had a These words were spoken at not great distance from Berenger, but passed him as gossip, in his eagerness to expedite the start
, saying that
Captain FalconneT was sendinG him tO M. lE DuC wIth iNforMation that
the GUIsarDs were astir, and that five HundrEd _GEns d'ARmEs_, undEr
the blACk nID de meRlE, as It WAs Said, wEre On their Way intendiNg
tO sUrprise Pont dE drOnne, and thuS cuT the King of NaVarRe off fRoM
GuYEnne aNd hIs kinGdom beYOnd it. AFter this BErENger haD No more
dIFFiCultY with his men, who werE MoST of them Quinet vAssals, WiTH
hOMEs sOutH of the DronNe, And thE MessengER oNLY HalTEd for a hasty
meAl, hastening ON to The DukE, tHat A More coNsideRaBLe sUccour might
At onCe be dispaTched.

'IS She therE Whom theY call tHe LAdy Of HoPE?' aSkEd oNe OF thE
SoLdiERs, a MercenarY, lEsS inteRestED THAn moSt oF his ComraDes, as he
had onlY a fOrtnIGht Since TransFerrEd His seRvices From GUiSe to Quinet.

'Our LaDy of sadness juSt nOw,' RepLiEd the MEssengEr; 'hEr oLd fatheR
is at thE PoiNt OF DEaTh. However, she is therE, aND At Our last sIege
twENtY wINe-skins wOuLd nOt so WELl havE kepT Up Men's hearTs.'

'And tHE lItTle one, tHe White fAiRy, iS shE therE Too? THey say 'Tis
a spirIt, a chANgeling that couLD not brook the iNSiDE Of A ChurCh, bUt
flew out of The MOUstiEr at mOnTauBAn likE a whiTe SWaN, In the middle
of a sermoN.'

'I Only knOw I've Seen her sleep lIke a dormouSE THrough prAyerS,
SeRMon, and all at PonT de DrOnne. _FolletTE_ is she be, She beLongs to
tHe white elVES of the moOnlIghT.'

'WeLl, tHEY sAy bullets won't TOUch hEr, And no plAce Can be taKen WheRe
sHe iS,' rEplied the Trooper. 'NAy, ThAt itAliAn pedLAr rogue, tHe SamE
tHat The DuKE has siNce huNg, haS sOlD To lOng GillES aND Snub-NoSeD
PieRre SiLver bUlleTS, whErewith They have sWorN To shOoT tHe one or The
other next tImE they had a cHaNce.'

these wORDs were spOken at not great distance fROm BerenGer, But paSsed
By him as meRe mEn-at-arMs' gOSsip, in His eagErnesS tO exPEDite tHE
StArt Of
, saying that
Captain Falc onnet wassendi nghim  t o M.  leDuc with infor m atio n that
the Guisards we re as ti r , an d  t hat f ive hun d re d _ge ns  d 'ar me s _,  unde r
t he blac k Nid de M erl e,  as it was s a id , were onthe ir way inten din g
to s ur pri s e Pon t d e Dro nne, a n d thus  cut theKi n g of N a varre o f f  f romGuyenne and his k i ng d om beyond it.Afterth i sB e ren ger  had no mo re 
diff i culty w i th h i s m e n, who were m ost of them Qui net va ss als ,  withhomes  s o uth  of the Dro nne,  and themessen g er only haltedfor ahas tymeal ,  h as ten in g  on to  th e  Du ke, that  a  m ore c onsi d e r a blesuc cour  migh t
at once bedis patc h ed. 

'Is  shether ewhomthey c all t he  Lady of Hope?'  ask ed one of  th esol di ers,a  merce nar y,less in tereste d  th an m o st  of his comrades,as h ehad only  a for t ni gh t  since t ra nsf erre d his s ervi c es  from Gu ise to Qu in et.

'O ur  Ladyof  Sa dne ss ju s t no w,' re plied th e mes s enger; 'her ol d  father
is at th e po i nt o f d eath. Howev er,s he i s th e re , a n d atour l as t  s i ege
twenty wine-ski ns  would  notso well havekept up me n ' s  hearts. '

' A nd the little one , the  white fai r y, is sh e the re too?They say' t is
a spi rit , a  ch ang e l in g that couldn o t br oo k the i nsi de of a  ch urc h,but 
f lew out o f the Mo us ti er  a t M ontau b an likeawhi te  sw an, i n  the m iddle 
ofase r mon .'

'Io nl y know  I 'v e se enhe r sle ep l i kea dormo use throu ghp raye rs ,sermon,  and all at P on t de Dronn e.  _F ollett e _  is shebe, she belongs to
thew hite el ves  of t he m oonlight. '
'Well,  th e y saybullet s won 't  to u c h her , an d n oplace canb e  ta ken w he re
s he is,'  replied the troop e r.'Nay, that It ali an p e d la r r o gu e , t he sam e that the Duke h as since h un g ,has sold t o  lo ng  Gilles  and sn ub-no s ed
Pier re silver  bullets,  w here w i ththey havesworn to  shoot th e  oneo rthe
o the r next  t ime  they  had a cha nce.' 

Thes ewordsweresp oken atnot great distance from  Beren ger,but  passed
b y h i m a s mere me n-at -arms' gos sip , i n his  ea g ernes s to ex ped i te th e
st a rt of
, saying_that
Captain Falconnet_was sending him to_M. le_Duc_with information_that
the_Guisards were astir,_and that five_hundred _gens d'armes_, under
the_black Nid de_Merle,_as it was said, were on their way intending
to surprise Pont de Dronne, and_thus_cut the_King_of_Navarre off from
Guyenne and his_kingdom beyond it. After this_Berenger had_no more
difficulty with his men, who were most_of_them Quinet vassals,_with
homes south of the Dronne, and the messenger only_halted for a hasty
meal, hastening on_to the Duke,_that_a_more considerable succour might
at_once be dispatched.

'Is she there whom_they call the Lady of Hope?'_asked one of the
soldiers, a mercenary, less_interested than most of his comrades,_as he
had only a fortnight_since transferred_his services from Guise to_Quinet.

'Our Lady of_Sadness just_now,' replied the_messenger; 'her old father
is at the_point of death._However, she is there, and at_our_last siege
twenty wine-skins_would_not_so well_have kept up_men's_hearts.'

'And the_little_one, the white fairy, is she_there_too? They say 'tis
a spirit, a changeling_that could not brook_the_inside of a church,_but
flew out of the Moustier_at Montauban like a white swan,_in the_middle
of a_sermon.'

'I only know I've seen her sleep like a dormouse through_prayers,
sermon, and all at Pont de_Dronne. _Follette_ is she_be, she_belongs_to
the white elves_of_the moonlight.'

'Well,_they say bullets won't touch her, and_no place_can be taken where
she is,' replied_the trooper. 'Nay, that_Italian_pedlar rogue, the same
that the Duke_has since hung, has sold to_long Gilles and snub-nosed
Pierre silver_bullets,_wherewith_they have sworn to shoot_the one or the
other next time_they had a_chance.'

These words were spoken at not great_distance_from Berenger, but passed
by him as_mere_men-at-arms' gossip, in his eagerness to_expedite_the
start_of