I would willingly have stopped to try and tranquillise the alarm of Madame La Touche and Sophie, but I could not refuse my friend’s request. I set off with him, and we soon reached the tower. We looked out from a narrow window towards the north, but at first could see no one approaching, though on listening attentively we fancied that we could distinguish the murmur of voices far off.
Presently a bright light appeared on the left, rising, it seemed, out of the midst of a forest at some distance from the banks of the Seine. The light rapidly increased in size, and flames began to ascend, while clouds of smoke darkened the sky.
“Ah! that must come from the Château l’Estrange!” exclaimed La Touche. “The rabble have attacked the house, and set it on fire. Fortunately, none of the family are at home except the old domestics, and they, poor people, will too probably be sacrificed. The villains would like to treat my château in the same way, and will before long make the attempt.”
“But we will defend it, and drive them back,” I exclaimed. “Have you a sufficient supply of arms and ammunition for its defence? We must barricade all the doors and windows; and, unless they have cannon, they will not succeed in getting in, I trust.”
“We have plenty of arms, and I obtained a supply of ammunition a short time since,” said La Touche. “I doubt, however, the courage of some of my domestics; they would rather yield to the rabble than risk their lives in the defence of my property.”
“Larry and I will try to make up, as far as we can, for their want of bravery,” I said.
“Thank you, my friends; you will be a host in yourselves. Now let us see about preparing to give the insurgents a warm reception should they attack the château.”
On descending from the tower, La Touche entered the supper room singing and laughing.
“There is not much to be afraid of, so you need not be anxious, ma chère mère; or you either, Sophie,” he said in a cheerful tone of voice. “We are going to shut the doors and windows in case any of the rabble may try to creep in at them. You can retire to your rooms or stay here, as you think best. You will oblige me, however, by keeping the women quiet, or they may be running about and interfering with our proceedings.”
“We will do more than keep them quiet,” exclaimed Sophie; “we will make them useful by setting them an example; only tell us what you want us to do.”