I may have slept an hour. Then I can dimly remember hearing a wild yelp from my dogs, and when I found myself in the middle of my room rubbing my eyes, Yvonne was calling, "Madame! Madame!" in terrified tones. My pets were mad with excitement, and the sound of the farm bell was ringing in my ears!
"Silence!" I yelled.
Everything but the bell ceased.
Heedless of my attire, I rushed to a back window and repeated my command.
The bell stopped.
"Who are you that you dare wake us like that!" I scolded.
A boy between eighteen and nineteen let go the rope and stepped beneath the window. I could see his blond hair in the moonlight.
"Are you Madame Huard?"
"Yes."
"I've come with a message from your husband."