The landlord was standing by the window, stooping over a
great pair of frayed and furrowed thigh-boots which he
was labouring to soften with copious grease.
'Mademoiselle ordered no breakfast,' he answered, with a
malicious grin.
'Well it does not much matter,' I replied grandly. 'I
shall be at Auch by noon.'
'That is as may be,' he answered with another grin.
I did not understand him, but I had something else to
think about, and I opened the door and stepped out,
intending to go to the stable. Then in a second I
comprehended. The cold air laden with woodland moisture
met me and went to my bones; but it was not that which
made me shiver. Outside the door, in the road, sitting
on horseback in silence, were two men. One was Clon.
The other, who had a spare horse by the rein--my horse--
was a man I had seen at the inn, a rough, shock-headed,
hard-bitten fellow. Both were armed, and Clon was
booted. His mate rode barefoot, with a rusty spur
strapped to one heel.
The moment I saw them a sure and certain fear crept into
my mind: it was that which made me shiver But I did not
speak to them.
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