"I dined at Nantes and need nothing. I prefer to go on immediately."
The servant again disappeared. A few moments later a young man came out. This time it was not the servant, but the master.
"Under any other circumstances, monsieur," he said, "I should insist on your doing me the honor to rest a while under my roof; but you are no doubt the person whom Petit-Pierre expects from Paris?"
"I am, monsieur."
"Monsieur Marc, then?"
"Yes, Monsieur Marc."
"In that case, let us not lose a moment; you are expected with the utmost impatience." Turning to the farm-hand, he said, "Is your horse fresh?"
"He has only done five miles to-day."
"In that case I'll take him; my horses are all knocked up. Stay here and drink a bottle of wine with Louis. I'll be back in two hours. Louis, take care of your comrade." Then turning to the traveller, he added, "Are you ready, monsieur?"
At an affirmative sign from the latter they started. After a dead silence of a quarter of an hour a cry sounded about a hundred steps before them. Monsieur Marc started and asked what it was.