Germain. Lady Ommaney was
scolding me into taking some food before starting, and crying,
because she had a bad attack of rheumatism, and her husband would not
let her go with us, when there was a knock, and one of the women ran
in. 'News, news, Mademoiselle! News of Madame la Vicomtesse! But
ah! she is in a sad plight.'
Down I ran headlong, and whom should I find but the dear and
excellent Madame Darpent. She, who never left her home but for
Church, had come to help us in our extremity. It seemed that Meg's
dragoon (about whom she has told her own story) had disguised himself
as soon as he came within Paris, and come in hot haste to M. Darpent,
telling him how once my brave sister had repulsed the whole crew of
villains, and how he had hurried away while the gentlemen (pretty
gentlemen, indeed!) were drinking wine to get up their courage for
another encounter, in which they were determined to succeeded since
they were heavy bets at the Prince's camp that the pride of la grand
Anglaise should be subdued before midnight. The dragoon had not
ventured to come any farther than Maison Darpent, lest he should be
missed and his comrades should not be able to conceal his absence but
he assured M. Darpent that though they might appear to obey orders,
they were resolved to give the lady every opportunity of resistance.
Was she not the wife of the best captain they had ever had, and had
she not knelt like one of the holy saints in a mystery play?
I was for setting forth at once with Sir Francis, sure that the
iniquity could not proceed when it was made public.
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