But a safer and stronger sentinel was keeping watch by the wretched brother, urging him with terrible power and show of reason to say the word that would free him for ever. Only an hour ago, he was resolved to run great risks to say it, and now he had only to make a sign, and run no risk whatever, and he could not bring himself to do it. Confound that moonshine! It had made a woman of him. He went to the window and looked down into the garden to watch the proceedings of the soldiers. Then he heard them searching the rooms below, banging doors and overturning everything, and presently the officer came up-stairs again.
“Hearken, mon garçon, it’s no use trying to play hide-and-seek with les bleus,” he said, “you won’t find it answer. Now, once for all, where is this François Léonval?”
“I tell you he’s not here,” replied Gaston doggedly; “if he was, you would find him.”
“Most likely, if we had time to lose hammering at the walls and
hunting up the chimneys; but les bleus have a more expeditious way of going to work. When we can’t bag our game, we fire it. So walk out, and we will set a light to the house and make a little Christmas bonfire for you. If he’s a coward, he’ll soon cry merci! If he’s a brave man, why he’ll go out in a blaze, and that’s as good a death as another. So here goes, give me the light!”
He seized the lantern, took out the socket, and deliberately advanced towards the bed.
“Hold!” cried Gaston, clutching his outstretched arm; “the man you are in search of is not here; he is at the presbytery.”
The bleu laid down the light.
“Stay here,” he said to the soldier who had remained in the room; “we will whistle for you when it’s time to join us.”
He descended the stairs quickly, and Gaston heard the door close, and saw the five figures disappear down the road. After that he seemed to fall into a sort of stupor, and stood without moving hand or foot, staring stolidly out of the window, while the soldier waited in silence for the promised signal. It came at last, wounding the silence like the hiss of a snake, and Gaston knew that his brother was in the hands of the torturers.