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The women for the hted, dead weary The men, when they had cared for the horses,

followed the example; for Badelon would suffer no fire In less than

half an hour, a sentry who stood on guard at the edge of the wood, and

Tignonville and La Tribe, who talked in low voices with their backs

against a tree, were the only persons who remained awake, with the

exception of the Countess Carlat had made a couch for her, and screened

it with cloaks from the wind and the eye; for the ht flooded the soil with pools of

white But Madame had not yet retired to her bed The two men, whose

voices reached her, saw her fro restlessly to and

fro between the road and the little encampment Presently she came and

stood over them

"He led His people out of the wilderness," La Tribe was saying; "out of

the trouble of Paris, out of the trouble of Angers, and always, always

southward If you do not in this, Monsieur, see His finger--"

"And Angers?" Tignonville struck in, with a faint sneer "Has He led

that out of trouble? A day or two ago you would risk all to save it, my

friend Noith your back safely turned on it, you think all for the

best"

"We did our best," the minister answered humbly "From the day we ers?"