"Ah! true; our first guide,--the one that was killed at the ford of the river," said the lieutenant.
"Poor woman!" said his companion; "let us leave her in peace. It is a pity to torment her at such a time."
"And yet," replied the first officer, "the information of the man we met was precise and circumstantial."
"We did wrong not to oblige him to come back with us."
"Have you any other room than this?" said the chief officer to the widow.
"I have the loft above, and that stable over the way."
"Search the loft and the stable; but first, open all the chests and closets, and look carefully in the oven."
The soldiers spread themselves through the house to execute these orders. From her terrible hiding-place the young woman heard every word of the conversation. She also heard the steps of the soldiers as they mounted the ladder to the loft, and she trembled with greater fear at that sound than when the officer had attempted to remove the death-sheet that concealed her, for she thought, with terror, that Bonneville's hiding-place was far less safe than her own.
When, therefore, she heard those who had gone to search the loft coming down, without any sound of a struggle or cry to show that the men were discovered, her heart was lightened of a heavy load.
The first lieutenant was waiting in the lower room, and was seated on the bread-box. The second officer was directing the search of eight or ten of the soldiers in the stable.