2 files changed, 277 insertions, 1076 deletions

diff --git a/57774-8.txt b/57774-0.txt
index 9a8de62..3b4f30a 100644
--- a/57774-8.txt
+++ b/57774-0.txt
@@ -1,35 +1,8 @@
-Project Gutenberg's A Sheaf of Bluebells, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57774 ***
 
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll
-have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
-this ebook.
 
 
 
-Title: A Sheaf of Bluebells
-
-Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
-
-Release Date: August 26, 2018 [EBook #57774]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SHEAF OF BLUEBELLS ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by ellinora, Martin Pettit and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
-file was produced from images generously made available
-by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
-
 
 
 
@@ -128,12 +101,12 @@ THE MASTERS OF FRANCE
 
 I
 
-Among the many petitions presented that year by émigrés desirous of
+Among the many petitions presented that year by émigrés desirous of
 returning to France under the conditional amnesty granted to them by the
 newly-crowned Emperor, was one signed by Mme. la Marquise de Mortain and
 by her son Laurent, then aged twenty-one years, and one signed by M. le
 Comte de Courson for himself and his daughter Fernande. Gaillard says in
-his memoirs of Fouché that the latter was greatly averse to the petition
+his memoirs of Fouché that the latter was greatly averse to the petition
 being granted; but that Napoleon, then on the point of starting for his
 campaign in Prussia, was inclined to leniency in this matter--leniency
 which roused the ire and contempt of the Minister of Police--the man
@@ -147,21 +120,21 @@ these dominions if I had my way."
 
 It seems that this phrase: "If I had my way," highly amused the Emperor.
 Was it not a well-known fact that in all matters pertaining to the
-internal organization of the new Empire of France, Fouché ruled far
+internal organization of the new Empire of France, Fouché ruled far
 more absolutely than did Napoleon? He knew more. He suspected more.
-Minister of Police and Minister of the Interior at this time, Fouché had
+Minister of Police and Minister of the Interior at this time, Fouché had
 made himself feared even--so it was said--by his imperial and capricious
 master.
 
 And so--the obscure secretary who was present at this interview tells
-us--the Emperor laughed, and for once Fouché did not have his way. On
+us--the Emperor laughed, and for once Fouché did not have his way. On
 the eve of the campaign which was to culminate in the humiliation of
 Prussia and the Peace of Tilsit, the soldier-Emperor had a throe of
 compassion, of mercy, a shrugging of the shoulders which meant immunity
 from exile for hundreds of men and women--a home for countless wanderers
 in foreign lands.
 
-Fouché argued. "The Fouvielles I don't mind, nor yet Joubert, nor those
+Fouché argued. "The Fouvielles I don't mind, nor yet Joubert, nor those
 Fumels. They won't do much harm. We might allow the Liancourts to
 return, though their property has been sold by the State, which always
 leads to trouble. But the Mortains!!! and the Coursons!!... Why! I would
@@ -173,15 +146,15 @@ Napoleon's clemency was extended to the Mortains, as it was to the
 Coursons--this we know, seeing that both the young Marquis and the Comte
 de Courson, his maternal uncle, figured so prominently in the events
 which this true chronicle sets forth to record. As to the cause of this
-clemency, or, rather, as to the cause of Fouché not getting his way this
+clemency, or, rather, as to the cause of Fouché not getting his way this
 once ... well, 'tis our turn to shrug our shoulders.
 
-Had Fouché really desired to keep the Mortains and the Coursons out of
-France, Fouché would have had his way. Of this there can be no doubt,
+Had Fouché really desired to keep the Mortains and the Coursons out of
+France, Fouché would have had his way. Of this there can be no doubt,
 seeing that Napoleon left the country at the head of his army soon after
 the day when he had that interview with his Minister of Police, leaving
 the latter more absolutely master of France than he had ever been
-before; so why should Fouché not have had his way with the Mortains and
+before; so why should Fouché not have had his way with the Mortains and
 with Baudouin de Courson and his daughter Fernande?
 
 Have we not cause for shrugging our shoulders? and for giving credence
@@ -196,10 +169,10 @@ heart he had already betrayed.
 II
 
 The aforesaid obscure secretary who hath so aptly described the
-interview between the Emperor and Fouché, tells us that the latter,
+interview between the Emperor and Fouché, tells us that the latter,
 after he had bowed himself out of the Presence, returned to his private
 chamber in the ministry, and promptly sent for M. Dubois--then Chief
-Préfet of Police.
+Préfet of Police.
 
 "M. Dubois," he commanded, "I want the dossier of the Mortains and also
 of the de Coursons now at once. The Emperor is inclined to grant them
@@ -212,7 +185,7 @@ referring to their dossier," retorted Dubois gruffly.
 
 "The ci-devant Marquise de Mortain...."
 
-"Not ci-devant any longer, M. Dubois," broke in Fouché with a suave
+"Not ci-devant any longer, M. Dubois," broke in Fouché with a suave
 smile. "The lady is Mme. la Marquise now ... you yourself are
 'Monsieur,' are you not? We have left the 'citizen' and 'citizeness' of
 our revolutionary era well behind us, remember, since our illustrious
@@ -221,9 +194,9 @@ an Empire now, Monsieur Dubois. There are no ci-devants any more, and
 quite a number of aristocrats."
 
 Dubois gave a growl of understanding. It was not easy for his rough,
-uncultured mind to grasp all the various subtleties of Fouché's irony.
+uncultured mind to grasp all the various subtleties of Fouché's irony.
 He hated Napoleon's all-powerful Minister, hated him all the more that
-Fouché's astute and tortuous mentality was beyond his comprehension and
+Fouché's astute and tortuous mentality was beyond his comprehension and
 that he never knew whether the great man was laughing at him or not.
 
 "Well," he said finally, with a shrug of his wide shoulders, "Marquise
@@ -236,19 +209,19 @@ the head of his army; he will return anon, having won fresh laurels for
 France and further undying glory for himself ... to-day he is inclined
 to clemency. Mme. la Marquise de Mortain and her son will be allowed to
 return to France, so will M. le Comte de Courson and his daughter
-Fernande; they will be allowed to retake possession of their château and
+Fernande; they will be allowed to retake possession of their château and
 of such of their lands as have not been sold by the State...."
 
-"The lands have all been sold," rejoined the préfet curtly, "to worthy
+"The lands have all been sold," rejoined the préfet curtly, "to worthy
 farmers whom it were a scandal to dispossess...."
 
-"Are we dispossessing any one, my dear M. Dubois?" queried Fouché, with
+"Are we dispossessing any one, my dear M. Dubois?" queried Fouché, with
 an indulgent smile directed at the other's Republican ardour--"any one,
 I mean, who happens to have bought confiscated land?"
 
 "Not yet," muttered the other under his breath; "but...."
 
-"As you were saying, M. le Préfet?..." here interposed the Minister more
+"As you were saying, M. le Préfet?..." here interposed the Minister more
 haughtily, "Mme. la Marquise de Mortain is a widow, I think."
 
 "Yes. For the second time."
@@ -257,7 +230,7 @@ haughtily, "Mme. la Marquise de Mortain is a widow, I think."
 
 "Who would have been a good patriot had he lived."
 
-"We must imagine so," said Fouché, with a smile.
+"We must imagine so," said Fouché, with a smile.
 
 "He died in '82--separated from his wife whom he hated."
 
@@ -297,9 +270,9 @@ rendered the Republic and the Directorate infinite services in quelling
 the so-called Royalist risings in his own province of Normandy."
 
 "Now he is old. Some say that he has not many months to live. Ronnay de
-Maurel dwells with him in his Château de la Vieuville, near Villemor.
+Maurel dwells with him in his Château de la Vieuville, near Villemor.
 They both live like peasants in a couple of rooms in the sumptuous
-château. The old man is a miser: he has accumulated immense wealth in
+château. The old man is a miser: he has accumulated immense wealth in
 these past twenty years. Ronnay de Maurel, on the other hand, owns the
 sumptuous demesnes of La Frontenay, which he inherited from his father,
 together with the foundries, where he employs five thousand men and
@@ -307,18 +280,18 @@ manufactures war material for the Grand Army. He is already one of the
 richest men in France--and he is his uncle's sole heir; when old Gaston
 dies the de Maurel riches will be uncountable...."
 
-"And he, too, eats peas with his knife," concluded Fouché, with a
+"And he, too, eats peas with his knife," concluded Fouché, with a
 sardonic smile.
 
-"And hardly knows how to read and write," assented the préfet of police.
+"And hardly knows how to read and write," assented the préfet of police.
 "A succession of tutors at La Vieuville testify to the rough temper and
 the obstinate savagery of this descendant of aristos."
 
-"Yes, so I have been told," mused Fouché. "I understand that a de Maurel
+"Yes, so I have been told," mused Fouché. "I understand that a de Maurel
 fought in the First Crusade, that another was Captain of Musketeers
 under Louis XIII.; but the present holder of the historic name is an
 ardent Bonapartist, as you say. He fought like a lion against the
-Royalists in Vendée; he crossed the Alps with Napoleon, and was wounded
+Royalists in Vendée; he crossed the Alps with Napoleon, and was wounded
 at Marengo and at Hohenlinden. At Austerlitz, where he accomplished
 prodigies of valour, an Austrian bullet lamed him for life. He is a
 Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour. His religion is Bonaparte ... he
@@ -327,11 +300,11 @@ Carmagnole from the Marseillaise--he is illiterate, uncultured, almost a
 savage.... These are all facts, are they not, M. Dubois?"
 
 "Aye! Ronnay de Maurel is all that and more. He lives at La Vieuville,
-not ten kilomètres from Courson, where Mme. la Marquise, his mother,
-will now be taking up her abode. Oh!" added the préfet of police with a
+not ten kilomètres from Courson, where Mme. la Marquise, his mother,
+will now be taking up her abode. Oh!" added the préfet of police with a
 malevolent grin, "how those two will execrate one another!"
 
-"And watch over one another," commented Fouché with his enigmatic
+"And watch over one another," commented Fouché with his enigmatic
 smile. "Ronnay de Maurel will act as a check on the intrigues which
 might be hatching presently in Mme. de Mortain's fertile brain."
 
@@ -339,7 +312,7 @@ might be hatching presently in Mme. de Mortain's fertile brain."
 intrigue," growled Dubois surlily. "She and her son Laurent will give us
 all plenty to do until...."
 
-He made a significant gesture with his hand against his neck. Fouché
+He made a significant gesture with his hand against his neck. Fouché
 smiled. "We can always give them plenty of rope," he said. "How old is
 Laurent de Mortain?"
 
@@ -355,31 +328,31 @@ properties adjoin."
 "I know. He, too, has been granted leave by the Emperor to return to
 France."
 
-"A whole pack of those confounded émigrés," once more growled the préfet
+"A whole pack of those confounded émigrés," once more growled the préfet
 of police--this time with a savage oath, "settled down in the most
 disaffected province of France. Joseph de Puisaye still at large ... the
 department seething with discontent ... everything ready for rebellion
 ... the Emperor away.... Ah! we shall have a fine time down there, I
 reckon."
 
-"Bah!" quoth Fouché lightly, "they are not very dangerous now. For one
+"Bah!" quoth Fouché lightly, "they are not very dangerous now. For one
 thing, the Mortains, the Coursons and the whole pack of them are as poor
 as church mice. Their lands and farms have all been sold; the Mortains
-have not even a château in which to live."
+have not even a château in which to live."
 
-"The Château of Courson stands."
+"The Château of Courson stands."
 
 "A dilapidated barrack."
 
 "Quite so--but large enough to harbour every rebel who chooses to hatch
 a plot against the safety of the Empire. The Mortains and Coursons will
-herd together there: Joseph de Puisaye, François Prigent and D'Aché
+herd together there: Joseph de Puisaye, François Prigent and D'Aché
 will use it as their headquarters. From there their bands of brigands
 will be let loose upon both departments--highway robbery, intimidation,
 pillage and arson--those Chouans stick at nothing nowadays. England no
 longer supplies them with money for their so-called Royalist cause, and
 they must get money somehow. You remember their criminal outrage upon
-old M. de Ris, and their theft in his château of money, valuables and
+old M. de Ris, and their theft in his château of money, valuables and
 jewellery. You remember the murder of Andrein, the Constitutional Bishop
 of Quimper, and the abduction of the Bishop of Vannes--all for purposes
 of robbery.... Well, in my opinion, those exploits will sink into
@@ -387,7 +360,7 @@ insignificance beside the ones which will be invented and organized in
 Courson under the presidency of Mme. la Marquise and her precious son
 and brother."
 
-M. Dubois, préfet of police, had, while he spoke, worked himself up into
+M. Dubois, préfet of police, had, while he spoke, worked himself up into
 a passion of fury. He gesticulated wildly with both arms, shrugged his
 wide shoulders, and banged his fist from time to time upon the desk in
 front of him, so that the inkstand and the papers rattled unceasingly
@@ -396,13 +369,13 @@ Dubois had perforce to pause for want of breath. He drew his large
 coloured handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his forehead, which was
 streaming.
 
-"You exaggerate, my good M. Dubois," said Fouché soothingly. "You have
+"You exaggerate, my good M. Dubois," said Fouché soothingly. "You have
 an excellent colleague at Caen in the person of M. Vincent...."
 
 "Bah!" ejaculated Dubois contemptuously. "He is hand in glove with the
 Royalists."
 
-"And there's M. Caffarello, the préfet...."
+"And there's M. Caffarello, the préfet...."
 
 Again an expressive shrug of the shoulders from M. Dubois, who
 apparently had not much faith in the capabilities of his subordinates.
@@ -426,14 +399,14 @@ he had understood it well enough this time.
 "There's not much of the lady-killer about Ronnay de Maurel," he added,
 laughing.
 
-"Perhaps not," rejoined Fouché dryly.
+"Perhaps not," rejoined Fouché dryly.
 
 "And he may rejoin the army, after all."
 
 "No. He cannot do that. The Emperor won't let him. He is far too useful
 in Normandy just now to be mere food for Prussian cannon."
 
-There was a pause. The préfet of police was tacitly dismissed. M. le
+There was a pause. The préfet of police was tacitly dismissed. M. le
 Ministre drew some papers close to him, and his delicate, blue-veined
 hand toyed with the pen.
 
@@ -441,7 +414,7 @@ hand toyed with the pen.
 thankful to shake the dust of the ministerial chamber from his feet.
 
 "Well ... unless you have anything else to report, my good M. Dubois,"
-rejoined Fouché pleasantly, "or any further information to impart to me
+rejoined Fouché pleasantly, "or any further information to impart to me
 about those Mortains--or the Coursons."
 
 "There's nothing else. But I wish to God that the Emperor would
@@ -453,8 +426,8 @@ France by now."
 
 "May they break their necks on the gangway," growled Dubois.
 
-"Amen to that," quoth Fouché lightly. "In the meanwhile, will you see M.
-de Réal on that subject and send special recommendations to the préfet
+"Amen to that," quoth Fouché lightly. "In the meanwhile, will you see M.
+de Réal on that subject and send special recommendations to the préfet
 and the commissary of police at Caen?..."
 
 "And to Ronnay de Maurel, I should say."
@@ -463,15 +436,15 @@ and the commissary of police at Caen?..."
 will write to him myself."
 
 Such in substance was the interview between the Minister of Police and
-the chief préfet. The secretary, among whose papers was found the above
+the chief préfet. The secretary, among whose papers was found the above
 account, goes on to say that M. Dubois, having taken his leave, the
 great man was busy for the next half-hour writing a letter with his own
 hand. With his own hand also he folded it, sealed it and addressed it.
 Then he handed it to his secretary with the express order that it should
 be sent to its destination by the next ministerial courier.
 
-The letter was addressed to M. le Comte Ronnay de Maurel, at his Château
-de la Vieuville, near Villemor, Département de l'Orne.
+The letter was addressed to M. le Comte Ronnay de Maurel, at his Château
+de la Vieuville, near Villemor, Département de l'Orne.
 
 
 
@@ -494,25 +467,25 @@ cause which, at any rate, for the moment was doomed. Mme. la Marquise
 did not shed tears when she first arrived on a cold, showery night early
 in May to what had been the luxurious home of her childhood. She did not
 cry when she wandered half aimlessly through the salons and apartments
-of the Château de Courson--all that was left to her brother of his once
+of the Château de Courson--all that was left to her brother of his once
 splendid patrimony--a mere barrack now where most windows were cracked,
 where the paper hung in strips from the walls and the ceilings painted
 by Boucher were stained with smoke and damp.
 
-It was just fourteen years now that the château had been standing empty
+It was just fourteen years now that the château had been standing empty
 and desolate--fourteen years during which snow, rain and tempest had
 worked their cruel way with shutters and window frames, with stucco,
 plaster and roofs. It was only the fabric itself--the fine solid stone
 walls of sixteenth century architecture which had remained intact--the
 monumental staircase, with its marble balustrade, the terraces and
-façades. True, the stone was stained by damp and mildew, and the ivy,
+façades. True, the stone was stained by damp and mildew, and the ivy,
 which fourteen years ago had been a pretty and romantic feature of the
 copings, was now a danger to them through the vigour and rankness of its
 growth; but these were matters which could easily be remedied, and which
 in themselves enhanced rather than detracted from the picturesqueness of
 the stately pile.
 
-It was the aspect of the interior of the château which had wrung from
+It was the aspect of the interior of the château which had wrung from
 Mme. la Marquise de Mortain that cry of bitter sorrow. Fourteen years!!!
 She herself had been staying at Courson when her brother was at last
 compelled to dismiss all his servants, and to flee from the country, as
@@ -523,7 +496,7 @@ daughter Fernande was a mere baby. He himself intended and did join the
 army of the Princes at Coblentz, together with Arnould de Mortain, his
 brother-in-law; Mme. la Marquise, with her son Laurent and with little
 Fernande de Courson, found refuge and hospitality in England, as many
-fugitive Royalists had already done; and the Château de Courson remained
+fugitive Royalists had already done; and the Château de Courson remained
 for a while under the care of old Matthieu Renard and of his wife
 Annette--faithful servants of the family.
 
@@ -549,15 +522,15 @@ funds for their needs, since England had ceased to pour money and
 treasure into their bottomless coffers.
 
 Matthieu Renard and Annette, his wife, had long since been forced to
-abandon the château. No money was forthcoming from Coblentz or from
+abandon the château. No money was forthcoming from Coblentz or from
 England. Food was dear and Matthieu still vigorous. He took up work with
 the farmers and cultivators who had supplanted his aristocratic masters
 on the domain of Courson. The decree of the National Convention of the
 1st of February, '92, had finally dispossessed of their lands those
-émigrés who did not choose to return to France; the land and farms were
+émigrés who did not choose to return to France; the land and farms were
 sold for the benefit of the State. Worthy bourgeois and peasants settled
 down on them and planted their cabbages in the former well-preserved
-enclosures of M. le Comte's pleasure grounds. Alone, the vast château,
+enclosures of M. le Comte's pleasure grounds. Alone, the vast château,
 with its reception-rooms in _enfilade_, its numerous state-bedrooms,
 elaborate servants' quarters, stablings and coach-houses, proved
 unsaleable. It remained the property of the nation until the day when
@@ -567,13 +540,13 @@ owners.
 It was little more now than an empty husk--swept clean by ruthless,
 thieving hands of every relic from the past--stripped of every object of
 value. When M. le Comte arrived, the tricolour flag was still waving on
-its staff up aloft, and across the stone façade was writ in large
-letters the great Republican device: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!"
+its staff up aloft, and across the stone façade was writ in large
+letters the great Republican device: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!"
 
 Mme. la Marquise de Mortain, who accompanied her brother on his return
 to his home, as she had done in exile, had the flag torn down and the
 device erased; but it would take months of labour and a mint of money
-to restore the château to its former splendour; and labour was scarce
+to restore the château to its former splendour; and labour was scarce
 these days when the Grand Army, fighting half Europe risen in coalition
 against the Corsican usurper, was taking heavy toll of the manhood of
 the country and winning undying laurels at Marengo and Austerlitz, in
@@ -589,7 +562,7 @@ possessed would more than ever be devoted to the undoing of the usurper
 and the triumph of the cause of her King.
 
 "And for this," she said to M. le Comte de Courson, who had viewed his
-devastated patrimony in moodiness and silence, "for this the château is
+devastated patrimony in moodiness and silence, "for this the château is
 admirably situated. The country round seems more lonely than it ever was
 before, the woods are more dense, the moors more inaccessible. The spies
 of that infamous Bonaparte can never penetrate to our villages. We are
@@ -639,7 +612,7 @@ Bonaparte has an enormous following at this moment. His victories have
 caused this blind and stupid nation to deify him. Indeed, the people of
 France look on him as nothing less than a god. His popularity is
 immense, his power unlimited. The loyal adherents of our rightful King
-are a mere handful now--a few of us of the old régime have remained
+are a mere handful now--a few of us of the old régime have remained
 true--a few unruly peasants have rallied to the fleur-de-lys. What can a
 few hundred of our men do against some thousands of Bonaparte's trained
 troops? And he has threatened to send a hundred thousand against our
@@ -805,7 +778,7 @@ Mme. la Marquise was silent for a moment or two. It was her turn now to
 stare moodily into the fire. Memory had carried her back to those early
 years of her marriage, when Bertrand de Maurel's dictatorial ways and
 crude love-making had caused her ever-rebellious spirit to chafe under
-his tyranny. Brought up under the strict régime of the time which made
+his tyranny. Brought up under the strict régime of the time which made
 of the _jeune fille_ little more than a puppet to dance to the piping of
 her parents, Denise de Courson had hoped to find emancipation in
 marriage. Bertrand de Maurel, however, soon taught her that a husband's
@@ -966,11 +939,11 @@ the world which I would not do for the sake of our cause, and that, as I
 told you just now, it would be of immense help to us if Ronnay and I
 became good friends and I could take up my abode at La Frontenay. I
 should get the control of his house ... of his money, too, to a great
-extent. The château is vast ... three times the size of Courson; it has
+extent. The château is vast ... three times the size of Courson; it has
 extensive cellars, which would be immeasurably useful for the storing of
 arms. Even if Ronnay desired to live there after Gaston's death rather
 than at La Vieuville, he still would probably be absent from time to
-time, and then the château would be entirely at our disposal.... Oh!"
+time, and then the château would be entirely at our disposal.... Oh!"
 she added more warmly, "the advantages of my residing at La Frontenay
 are too numerous to name."
 
@@ -984,7 +957,7 @@ that is all."
 your designs, which I take leave to doubt--you will, first of all, have
 to make sure that Ronnay de Maurel has no thought of marriage. If you
 take up your residence at La Frontenay--if we are to make use of the
-château for our campaign--we ought to be certain that a young bride
+château for our campaign--we ought to be certain that a young bride
 won't turn us out within the first few months if she found La Vieuville
 not sufficiently to her liking."
 
@@ -1077,7 +1050,7 @@ upon the table, was effectually shielding his face from the searching
 gaze of the invalid.
 
 The room in which the two men sat was one of the kitchens of the small
-old-fashioned Château of La Vieuville--the appanage of the younger sons
+old-fashioned Château of La Vieuville--the appanage of the younger sons
 of the house--granted to them in perpetual fief by the head of the
 family in the days when the de Maurels were Dukes of Montauban and held
 their lands direct from the King. Bertrand de Maurel, the last holder of
@@ -1124,7 +1097,7 @@ And--almost despite himself--he accumulated immense wealth, not only for
 his nephew, but also for himself. He, too, had inherited quite a
 substantial fortune from his mother, who was the sister and co-heiress
 of the Marquis de Rouverdain. His capital he lent to the State at
-interest, and he kept up the fabric of his Château of La Vieuville; but
+interest, and he kept up the fabric of his Château of La Vieuville; but
 beyond that he spent nothing on himself. He only looked upon himself as
 the administrator of his nephew's patrimony--as the chief overseer of
 the Maurel foundries. People called him a miser, and he was that in a
@@ -1186,8 +1159,8 @@ country two sons."
 
 Yes! the days of democracy were at an end, nor had old Gaston de Maurel
 ever aught to do with the new days of splendour. He had continued to
-live in two rooms of his beautiful château, both on the ground-floor and
-away from the main façade; to these rooms one of the small back doors
+live in two rooms of his beautiful château, both on the ground-floor and
+away from the main façade; to these rooms one of the small back doors
 gave access; he lived like a workman, he fed and dressed and toiled like
 a workman.
 
@@ -1205,7 +1178,7 @@ which henceforth he became sole master.
 And from that same day onwards a tall, massive figure, with head erect
 and deep-set, violet eyes fixed upon the horizon far away, could be seen
 every morning at break of day wending its way across the fields from the
-château to the factory, a matter of three kilometres, in all
+château to the factory, a matter of three kilometres, in all
 weathers--wet or fine, snow or rain, in the teeth of a gale or of
 blinding sleet--a woollen cap upon his head, his bare feet thrust into
 sabots. The country-folk, as he passed them by, would nudge one another
@@ -1340,7 +1313,7 @@ her the proletariat, the bourgeoisie, the toilers and the workers were
 all so much scum, whose very touch would pollute the hem of her gown.
 The life and welfare of one of her husband's peasantry was of less
 account to her than the health of her pet dog. Oh, there were women like
-that in the old régime--and men, too, my boy! Else, think you that so
+that in the old régime--and men, too, my boy! Else, think you that so
 bloody a revolution as the one which the people of France have made
 would ever have swept an entire caste off the face of the land? There
 were women and men in those days--before the Revolution--who would see,
@@ -1406,19 +1379,19 @@ look that was almost one of appeal. Ronnay had listened in silence; it
 would have been cruel to have refused to listen to a sick man's
 impassioned entreaty. But the obstinacy which had helped to wreck his
 father's life had been transmitted in a full measure to himself; and
-Fouché--clever, astute Fouché--had used the one argument which was
+Fouché--clever, astute Fouché--had used the one argument which was
 unanswerable, when he appealed to de Maurel's loyalty.
 
 "Go to Courson, my dear General," the Minister had writ with his own
 hand, "go as soon as your mother bids you come. You would be rendering
 the State an inestimable service if you would keep an eye on the doings
-of all these repatriated émigrés in your department. That they are up to
+of all these repatriated émigrés in your department. That they are up to
 some mischief I need not perhaps impress upon you. They have been
 raising money in their own lawless fashion in that part of Normandy for
 some time now. Pillage, highway robbery, arson and intimidation are
 rife. I believe that the Royalists are trying to raise another army
 which might give us an infinity of trouble--and, in any case, will cause
-the shedding of a deal of innocent blood. The Château de Courson is so
+the shedding of a deal of innocent blood. The Château de Courson is so
 admirably situated and adapted for the headquarters of those sort of
 intrigues. I entreat you, therefore, during the absence of our Imperial
 Master in Prussia and at his own earnest desire, which I herewith
@@ -1436,19 +1409,19 @@ less powerful than the one you so gallantly helped our Imperial Master
 to subjugate."
 
 That was the letter which had taken the Minister of Police over half an
-hour to prepare. Oh, clever and astute Fouché! How thoroughly you
+hour to prepare. Oh, clever and astute Fouché! How thoroughly you
 understood the science of making men the engines of your will! Here was
 Ronnay de Maurel, who had earned for himself undying laurels on fields
 where every man was brave and worthy of distinction, ready--at your
 bidding--to throw himself into a maze of intrigue where his uncultured
-mind was bound to be at once at a hopeless disadvantage. But Fouché had
+mind was bound to be at once at a hopeless disadvantage. But Fouché had
 made appeal in the name of France, and the democrats of this age, who
 had emerged chastened and purified from out the withering fire of a
 sanguinary Revolution, had in their hearts a boundless store of love for
 their country who had suffered so much.
 
 Gaston de Maurel had spent much of his reserve of strength in trying to
-counteract the effect of Fouché's letter in his nephew's mind. Long
+counteract the effect of Fouché's letter in his nephew's mind. Long
 before he had said all that he meant, he knew that he had failed.
 When--some time after he had finished speaking--Ronnay still remained
 silent, the invalid, half prostrate after the exertion, threw back his
@@ -1535,7 +1508,7 @@ KINDRED
 
 I
 
-The very atmosphere of the old Château de Courson had become
+The very atmosphere of the old Château de Courson had become
 electrical--excitement was in the air. Even Mme. la Marquise, that
 perfect pattern of aristocratic sang-froid, had been unable to sit still
 all morning.
@@ -1552,7 +1525,7 @@ good Annette--see that everything is very plain but thoroughly good."
 
 "_Bien, bien_, Mme. la Marquise," nodded Annette, who, womanlike, was
 more ready to become impregnated with that fever of excitement which
-pervaded the château than was sober old Matthieu. "You may be sure that
+pervaded the château than was sober old Matthieu. "You may be sure that
 I will do my best. I saw the General when first he came home from the
 war...."
 
@@ -1607,7 +1580,7 @@ Ronnay de Maurel appeared upon the threshold.
 II
 
 He had certainly put on a clean linen blouse, but a blouse it was--just
-the same as those which his own employés wore at their work--of a faded
+the same as those which his own employés wore at their work--of a faded
 shade of blue, with wide sleeves and low, turned-down collar, out of
 which rose his straight, firm neck, strong as a bull's, and crowned by
 the square, massive head, which he threw up as he entered, with a
@@ -1826,7 +1799,7 @@ or two nearer to him, and drawing himself to his full height, he said,
 with perfect, outward calm:
 
 "Where I spent my life, brother mine? Will you let me tell you, since
-you do not know? My childhood I spent in the old Château of La
+you do not know? My childhood I spent in the old Château of La
 Vieuville, where my uncle Gaston took care of me since my father died
 and my mother had abandoned me in order to pursue her own aims in life,
 which were not those of the man to whom she had sworn fealty at the
@@ -1945,7 +1918,7 @@ bitter words on both sides, and if at this juncture it came to open
 enmity between them, that breach mayhap would never be patched up again.
 M. de Courson, as usual, tried to play his part of peace-maker. In his
 heart of hearts he could not help but give a certain measure of
-admiration to de Maurel's fearless exposé of the situation. He himself
+admiration to de Maurel's fearless exposé of the situation. He himself
 being innately loyal, recognized and appreciated loyalty in others. He
 did not want to see a quarrel between the brothers now. His sober
 judgment still clung to the desire for conciliation, and he still clung
@@ -2056,7 +2029,7 @@ your knees! You shall lick the dust for this monstrous sacrilege....
 Your unhallowed hands shall not touch that sacred badge ... with your
 lips you shall pick it out of the dust ... you...."
 
-"Let me go!" cried Laurent hoarsely. "Uncle Baudouin, _à moi_!"
+"Let me go!" cried Laurent hoarsely. "Uncle Baudouin, _à moi_!"
 
 "On your knees!" reiterated de Maurel fiercely.
 
@@ -2137,7 +2110,7 @@ I
 
 An hour later Mme. la Marquise de Mortain had been put in possession of
 all the facts which related to Ronnay de Maurel's quarrel with his
-brother and of his hasty exit from the château. Laurent had recovered
+brother and of his hasty exit from the château. Laurent had recovered
 from his sudden access of madness, and was not a little ashamed that
 Fernande had seen him at the very height of his outburst of fury against
 his brother, when fratricide was in his eye and in his uplifted hand. M.
@@ -2375,7 +2348,7 @@ of hawthorn and lilac from a mass of encroaching weeds. Despite the
 sorrowful outlook in her young life, despite the cares and heavy
 thoughts which weighed upon her father and her friends and
 kindred--almost despite herself--she felt singularly gay and elated. It
-was not the fashion to be merry in the circles of these émigrés who had
+was not the fashion to be merry in the circles of these émigrés who had
 just returned to their devastated homes, through the clemency of the
 Corsican usurper; tempers had to be sober and looks demure. The cause of
 the King had to be fought again; thoughts of danger, of conspiracy and
@@ -2464,7 +2437,7 @@ For the moment she was intent on her work, and not prepared to listen to
 Laurent's tender reproaches. The weeds were many, and despite the
 earliness of the year had already become rank. She had been humming a
 little ditty quietly to herself: "Et ron et ron! petit Pataplon! Il
-était une bergère!" But now, when she heard Laurent's footsteps on the
+était une bergère!" But now, when she heard Laurent's footsteps on the
 path behind her, the song died upon her lips. She made pretence not to
 hear his coming, nor did she turn her head in his direction until he
 called her name:
@@ -2587,7 +2560,7 @@ foretell happiness for any of us just now."
 "So are we all. We are arming the countryside as fast as we can, but we
 have so little money ... so few opportunities for drilling the raw
 village lads in the use of arms, so little place wherein to keep our
-stores. Fouché's spies are everywhere. One does not know whom one can
+stores. Fouché's spies are everywhere. One does not know whom one can
 trust. Oh, if we had La Frontenay and Ronnay de Maurel's wealth at our
 disposal, King Louis would be back in France ere the leaves which are
 now unfolding have fallen from the trees."
@@ -2823,7 +2796,7 @@ Fernande de Courson had spent that week trying to find out something
 definite about "the General's" habits and movements during the day. That
 had been an easy task. Anyone in the district could have told her that
 the hero of Austerlitz and Hohenlinden, and of a hundred other fights,
-toiled down from the Château of La Vieuville up on the height to his
+toiled down from the Château of La Vieuville up on the height to his
 foundries in the valley below, every morning at seven o'clock, and
 returned home again every evening at nine. That he took a short cut
 across the fields between the edge of the wood and the foundry, walking
@@ -2837,7 +2810,7 @@ he supervised the administration of his huge estate and of the works
 which supplied the Emperor's army with the material wherewith to conquer
 the world and subjugate the enemies of France. Any one, too, could have
 added that when "the General" was not at the foundry, he was sitting in
-the back kitchen of the Château of La Vieuville, trying to cheer in his
+the back kitchen of the Château of La Vieuville, trying to cheer in his
 rough way the monotonous hours of a confirmed invalid.
 
 All these facts Fernande had learned in four-and-twenty hours. It took
@@ -2866,37 +2839,37 @@ the Emperor. They say that he sits for hours beside the pool, and if he
 does not hear the pigeons, he goes away satisfied."
 
 It was in Villemor itself that Fernande had gleaned this information.
-She had driven in one day in Père Lebrun's carriole, sitting upon the
-pile of vegetables which he was taking into the town. Père Lebrun was a
+She had driven in one day in Père Lebrun's carriole, sitting upon the
+pile of vegetables which he was taking into the town. Père Lebrun was a
 cultivator who owned a bit of land of his own whereon he grew cabbages
 which he sold when and how he could; he also owned an old nag and a
 broken-down carriole, and once a week--when the weather was
-propitious--he drove into Villemor--a matter of eight kilomètres--and
+propitious--he drove into Villemor--a matter of eight kilomètres--and
 combined pleasure with business, by going to see his sister, who lived
 in the village of La Vieuville, on the way to Villemor. This Fernande
-learned while she sat on the pile of Père Lebrun's cabbages. She had
+learned while she sat on the pile of Père Lebrun's cabbages. She had
 desired to be driven into the town for the sake of a few commissions
 which she had to do there; but thoughts of Ronnay de Maurel were never
 absent from her mind now, and as soon as the pointed roofs of La
-Vieuville came in sight, she led Père Lebrun to talk of the inmates of
-the old château. And Père Lebrun was as ready for gossip as is a peach
+Vieuville came in sight, she led Père Lebrun to talk of the inmates of
+the old château. And Père Lebrun was as ready for gossip as is a peach
 to fall from the tree when it is ripe. One word set him going, and he
 had a great deal to tell of old M. Gaston's eccentricities and
 miserliness, as well as of "the General" and his queer, rough ways. But
 though he spoke much, he could only quote hearsay, and Fernande was
-waxing impatient, when Lebrun suddenly told her that his sister Adèle
-Lapin did the ménage daily at the château, and that all his information
+waxing impatient, when Lebrun suddenly told her that his sister Adèle
+Lapin did the ménage daily at the château, and that all his information
 about the two eccentric dwellers thereof came from her.
 
 Whereupon Fernande discovered that her commissions in the town would
 easily keep for another day, and, moreover, that riding in a carriole on
 the top of a pile of cabbages made her sick. She demanded to be put down
-at the door of Mme. Adèle Lapin, declaring that she would wait there
-until Père Lebrun had finished his business in Villemor and came to pick
+at the door of Mme. Adèle Lapin, declaring that she would wait there
+until Père Lebrun had finished his business in Villemor and came to pick
 her up at his sister's house before driving back to Courson.
 
 The result of this change of plans was a wealth of information gleaned
-from Mme. Adèle's voluble talk. She knew all about old M. Gaston, who,
+from Mme. Adèle's voluble talk. She knew all about old M. Gaston, who,
 indeed, was very ill, and all about "the General," who was as savage, as
 morose and as shy as a bear. But Lapin, her husband, worked at a farm
 the other side of the La Frontenay woods, and when he went to his work
@@ -2906,7 +2879,7 @@ pool. Other people had seen him, too, and they said that he sat so still
 that undoubtedly he was listening for the cooing of the pigeons of St.
 Front.
 
-And Fernande de Courson drove home that afternoon in Père Lebrun's
+And Fernande de Courson drove home that afternoon in Père Lebrun's
 carriole feeling like a soldier on the eve of battle. She hardly spoke
 to anyone the whole of that evening, and Laurent had serious cause to
 complain of her lack of responsiveness. She pleaded fatigue from her
@@ -3047,7 +3020,7 @@ an exquisite flower, was appealing--oh, so piteously, for help!
 
 "Alas, Monsieur!" she said, "an you'll not come to my assistance, I
 shall have to wait till some chance passer-by prove more full of pity
-than you. It is six kilomètres from here to the Château of Courson and I
+than you. It is six kilomètres from here to the Château of Courson and I
 am breakfastless."
 
 Her voice--the tone of which appeared to Ronnay de Maurel like the
@@ -3103,7 +3076,7 @@ murmured Fernande, with lips that quivered like those of a child about
 to cry. "I pray you leave me, dear cousin. You cannot afford to waste
 your time over the ailments of an insignificant person like me. Perhaps
 you may find some one in the village good enough to take a message over
-to my father by and by, asking him to send Père Lebrun's carriole
+to my father by and by, asking him to send Père Lebrun's carriole
 hither. But oh! I pray you haste! I shall be so desperately hungry ere
 the carriole come."
 
@@ -3119,7 +3092,7 @@ tantalized a saint.
 
 "An you will grant me leave," he said simply, "I will carry you."
 
-"Carry me?" she exclaimed. "Why, it is six kilomètres to the château!"
+"Carry me?" she exclaimed. "Why, it is six kilomètres to the château!"
 
 "If it were twenty I could carry you thither," he interposed with that
 quaint smile which was wont to lighten his stern face like sunshine on a
@@ -3169,7 +3142,7 @@ But for the space of a few seconds, at any rate, he knew that she stood
 before him in avowed enmity, and Fernande had to close her eyes lest he
 should read in them that hatred and contempt which she felt and which
 she knew that she would always feel for this traitor to his King and to
-his caste. She had to force herself to remember the rôle which she had
+his caste. She had to force herself to remember the rôle which she had
 set herself to play, to force herself to think of this abominable
 regicide as a tool for furthering the very cause which he was now
 helping to crush; and there was a marvellous fund of energy and of
@@ -3330,7 +3303,7 @@ that comfortable?"
 "Afraid?" she exclaimed. "Of what?"
 
 To this query he made no reply, but started on his way. It was six
-kilomètres to Courson, through the woods first, and then across the
+kilomètres to Courson, through the woods first, and then across the
 fields. To Ronnay de Maurel ever afterwards it seemed as if the distance
 had been less than one. Leaving the pool on his right, he struck the
 footpath among the trees, treading softly and warily on the carpet of
@@ -3357,7 +3330,7 @@ its joyous anthem, and fluttered upwards into the heavenly blue above.
 III
 
 It took Ronnay de Maurel two hours to reach the village of Courson. The
-château was half a kilomètre further on. Never had he cursed its
+château was half a kilomètre further on. Never had he cursed its
 circular, pointed roofs as heartily as he did to-day. He would have
 liked to push them to the outermost confines of the earth.
 
@@ -3394,9 +3367,9 @@ a false move in the end.
 
 "_Mon cousin_," she said suddenly, just as de Maurel, avoiding the main
 village street, had struck through an orchard and along a by-path, which
-led to a postern gate in the boundary wall of the château, "_mon
+led to a postern gate in the boundary wall of the château, "_mon
 cousin_, by your leave, an you'll take me as far as the Lodge, I could
-try and walk up the avenue to the château--alone."
+try and walk up the avenue to the château--alone."
 
 "But there's no one at the Lodge," he said, "and the avenue is over
 long."
@@ -3417,7 +3390,7 @@ Mechanically he had obeyed, and turned back in the direction of the main
 gates of the park. The Lodge--a small stone pavilion--was just inside
 the gates.
 
-"We don't want to be spied from the château, do we, _mon cousin_?" added
+"We don't want to be spied from the château, do we, _mon cousin_?" added
 the young girl, whilst a ripple of laughter, musical as the song of a
 lark, helped to chase away the last lingering remnant of de Maurel's
 moodiness. "_Ma tante_ would be vastly shocked, for my hair is
@@ -3463,7 +3436,7 @@ Sighing with regret, he vowed that he had not.
 
 "I'll go and fetch them," he said at once.
 
-"And walk another dozen kilomètres to-day?"
+"And walk another dozen kilomètres to-day?"
 
 "When shall I bring them?" was all that he said by way of rejoinder.
 
@@ -3499,7 +3472,7 @@ reached the Lodge without untoward accident; the gates, luckily, were
 open and there was no one about. Fernande declared that she was now not
 only able to stand, but also to hobble as far as the Lodge parlour, and
 to sit quietly there until Annette arrived, when she would forthwith
-proceed to the château, where, no doubt, every one was devoured with
+proceed to the château, where, no doubt, every one was devoured with
 anxiety about her.
 
 How thankful was de Maurel that the park of Courson was so lonely and
@@ -3537,7 +3510,7 @@ and there was a glow of excitement upon her cheeks.
 IV
 
 The paths were too rough for Fernande to attempt to go back shoeless to
-the château, so she waited in the porch, leaning against the pillar, in
+the château, so she waited in the porch, leaning against the pillar, in
 the same attitude wherein she had received de Maurel's final clumsy
 farewell; she waited with her own triumphal thoughts for company, for
 close on half an hour, when she suddenly spied Laurent walking briskly
@@ -3581,7 +3554,7 @@ glowing cheeks and in her glittering eyes; but that she did not mean to
 tell him anything about it for the present was equally plainly marked
 round the lines of her obstinate little mouth. Therefore, Laurent, with
 a shrug of his shoulders and a muttered: "As you will!" at once turned
-on his heel and walked rapidly back towards the château in obedience to
+on his heel and walked rapidly back towards the château in obedience to
 his lady's commands.
 
 And Fernande was once more left alone in the porch of the Lodge, gazing
@@ -3597,7 +3570,7 @@ gown.
 
 "But," she added, and here her thoughts became confused and unruly, "the
 bear would not have gone to fetch Annette; he would have put his great
-strong arms round me and carried me to the château. And oh! how I should
+strong arms round me and carried me to the château. And oh! how I should
 have hated him for it!" she concluded, with a little shudder as she
 smoothed out the creases in her muslin gown.
 
@@ -3605,7 +3578,7 @@ smoothed out the creases in her muslin gown.
 V
 
 All that Fernande vouchsafed to say, once she was duly shod, was that
-the Château of Courson might expect the visit of M. le Comte de Maurel
+the Château of Courson might expect the visit of M. le Comte de Maurel
 that self-same afternoon. Mme. la Marquise was incredulous and M. de
 Courson angry. Laurent looked very glum and remained silent and morose
 all through dinner.
@@ -3676,7 +3649,7 @@ appearance in a new frock of delicate muslin, with tiny puffed sleeves
 and the shortest of waists, the folds of her long skirt clinging very
 closely to her girlish figure, finally brought Madame's incredulity to
 an end, and though nothing was done this time in preparation of M. de
-Maurel's coming, the excitement which pervaded the château was none the
+Maurel's coming, the excitement which pervaded the château was none the
 less acute.
 
 The weather continued to smile the whole afternoon. It had been the
@@ -3787,8 +3760,8 @@ He crossed the veranda, ready to follow Annette. The worthy woman,
 having shrugged her fat shoulders and thrown up her hands with an
 expressive gesture of complete detachment from the doings of her
 betters, started to shuffle back the way she came. But before either she
-or Laurent had reached the wide glass portières which gave on the
-principal State apartments of the château, a firm tread, with a curious
+or Laurent had reached the wide glass portières which gave on the
+principal State apartments of the château, a firm tread, with a curious
 drag in it and accompanied by the click of spurs, was heard to cross the
 hall and then to resound on the parquet floor of the vast reception-room
 which led directly to the veranda.
@@ -3870,7 +3843,7 @@ much the better for the cause of the King. The bear was certainly
 beginning to dance, thought Madame, whilst the smile of satisfaction
 lingered round her lips and her thoughts went off roaming in the realms
 of fancy. Laurent would have to console himself with a rich heiress for
-the loss of his charming fiancée. At best, Madame herself did not
+the loss of his charming fiancée. At best, Madame herself did not
 greatly favour the match. M. de Courson had not a sou wherewith to endow
 his daughter, and Madame la Marquise had oft expressed her doubts as to
 His Majesty--even when he came to his throne again--being ever rich
@@ -3933,9 +3906,9 @@ unconcernedly.
 
 "It is a short walk from Courson," rejoined de Maurel.
 
-"A very long one, I think ... over six kilomètres."
+"A very long one, I think ... over six kilomètres."
 
-"Over six kilomètres.... Yes."
+"Over six kilomètres.... Yes."
 
 "Therefore, we have never been further than the pool."
 
@@ -4169,7 +4142,7 @@ making a clumsy bow in the direction where Fernande was sitting, silent
 and industrious, he took no more intimate farewell of her than he did of
 the others. This had the effect of allaying in a slight measure
 Laurent's irritation. He even unbent to the extent of accompanying his
-brother to the gates of the château, an act of courtesy in which M. de
+brother to the gates of the château, an act of courtesy in which M. de
 Courson also joined.
 
 But the moment that de Maurel's back was turned, and the steps of the
@@ -4270,7 +4243,7 @@ he could glean no news of her; then perhaps that self-same afternoon he
 would tramp over after work as far as Courson and hear from one or other
 of the villagers that they had seen Mademoiselle walking to church or in
 the orchard, or else, mayhap, he himself would catch a glimpse of her
-through the gates of the park or in the carriole of Père Lebrun, and he
+through the gates of the park or in the carriole of Père Lebrun, and he
 would go home satisfied.
 
 And he would wax impatient when the sun was specially bright overhead
@@ -4528,7 +4501,7 @@ country road wound its smooth ribbon at the foot of the distant hills.
 Here a small one-horsed vehicle was standing, some few metres away from
 the edge of the wood.
 
-"It is another five or six kilomètres to the foundries from here,
+"It is another five or six kilomètres to the foundries from here,
 Mademoiselle," he said, "so every morning, always hoping that you would
 come, I ventured to order a carriole to await you here; one of our men
 will drive you by the road."
@@ -4720,7 +4693,7 @@ lately."
 
 "All the more reason why I should speak with him," retorted de Maurel.
 
-"But the lady, _mon général_," rejoined Mathurin, as he indicated
+"But the lady, _mon général_," rejoined Mathurin, as he indicated
 Fernande.
 
 De Maurel turned to the young girl. "Would you care to wait,
@@ -4789,7 +4762,7 @@ duty for France."
 "Not another stroke will I do," growled Leroux sullenly, "till I've
 eaten and drunk my fill, which I've not done these past twenty days. Not
 another stroke, do you hear? And if I lift that accursed tool again it
-will be to crack your skull with it! Do you hear, _mon Général_? I am
+will be to crack your skull with it! Do you hear, _mon Général_? I am
 under one sentence for murder already--another cannot do me much more
 harm. So look to yourself--what? for not another stroke of work will I
 do ... _Foi de_ Paul Leroux."
@@ -4805,7 +4778,7 @@ Then he turned to the overseer.
 
 "Mathurin!" he called peremptorily.
 
-"Yes, _mon Général_!"
+"Yes, _mon Général_!"
 
 "Give Leroux the money that is due to him. He is no longer in my
 employ."
@@ -5025,7 +4998,7 @@ She drew back suddenly, as if his strange and earnest query had hit her
 in the face. He did not withdraw his gaze from her, however--a curious,
 searching, intense gaze--which sent the blood coursing hotly through her
 veins in unbounded pride and anger. Indeed, for the moment she forget
-her rôle, forgot her foolish boast, her childish wager that she would
+her rôle, forgot her foolish boast, her childish wager that she would
 bring this untamed ogre to his knees. For the first time now she felt
 appalled at the magnitude of a passion which she had wantonly kindled,
 and with the marvellous prodigality of youth--she would at this moment
@@ -5202,7 +5175,7 @@ from Courson, old Gaston de Maurel had not said another word on the
 subject; nevertheless, the keen insight which his fondness for his
 nephew gave him soon showed him the clue of what was in the wind.
 
-"One of those _satané_ de Coursons has got hold of the boy," he muttered
+"One of those _satané_ de Coursons has got hold of the boy," he muttered
 to himself, "and God help him; for she'll make him suffer, as my dead
 brother suffered. God grant he does not break his heart over the wench."
 
@@ -5259,14 +5232,14 @@ her troubles, and Ronnay de Maurel listened with half an ear, while his
 eyes followed Fernande's every movement.
 
 Within a week he had offered to his mother and to Laurent his own
-Château of La Frontenay as a residence, and Madame la Marquise had
+Château of La Frontenay as a residence, and Madame la Marquise had
 graciously accepted the offer. It had been made because at the precise
 moment when de Maurel had his eyes fixed on Fernande, she had looked up
 at him, and Madame had said quite casually: "Fernande will make her home
 with me for the next few months while my brother and Laurent are away,"
 and Fernande had added with a pathetic little sigh: "Is it not pitiable
 that _ma tante_ has no home of her own, whilst you are so rich, _mon
-cousin_, and your château stands empty?"
+cousin_, and your château stands empty?"
 
 By this time every counsel of wisdom and prudence spoken by Gaston de
 Maurel had long since been forgotten. Ronnay saw things through a pair
@@ -5388,7 +5361,7 @@ in the way of success."
 "But, _mon oncle_," protested Laurent hotly, "our future happiness is at
 stake ... both Fernande's and mine ... and if my brother...."
 
-"_Ah, çà_," broke in M. le Comte tartly, "are you insinuating, Monsieur
+"_Ah, çà_," broke in M. le Comte tartly, "are you insinuating, Monsieur
 my nephew, that my daughter is like to be untrue to her promise to you?"
 
 "God forbid!"
@@ -5538,7 +5511,7 @@ His Majesty--God guard him!"
 "It has not been easy, _ma tante_," rejoined Fernande with a whimsical
 smile. "Laurent has been a perfect ogre; lately he has taken to dogging
 my footsteps. He lies in wait for me at every turn. I dared not meet M.
-de Maurel outside the château, lest Laurent pounced upon us and provoked
+de Maurel outside the château, lest Laurent pounced upon us and provoked
 a scene. I was beginning to fear that my bear would escape me, after
 all."
 
@@ -5587,7 +5560,7 @@ Laurent, backed by M. de Courson, raised so many objections to Fernande
 going over to La Frontenay again, that Madame la Marquise was for once
 obliged to yield. Nor did she regret Fernande's absence when she
 realized that Ronnay was all the more determined to push her own
-installation at the château forward as a means of his seeing the young
+installation at the château forward as a means of his seeing the young
 girl again.
 
 "Fernande will settle down here with me," Madame said very judicially
@@ -5602,7 +5575,7 @@ not available capable women and girls would have to be brought up from
 the village; in any case, Madame la Marquise should be installed here
 within the week, and suitable servants engaged for her. He himself was
 so absolutely ignorant of what ladies required in order to be
-comfortable in a château, that he then and there placed the bailiff
+comfortable in a château, that he then and there placed the bailiff
 entirely at Madame's disposal for any orders she might deign to give.
 
 Nothing could have pleased Madame better. She was quite ready to take up
@@ -5620,7 +5593,7 @@ aspect of the proposed rising was wearing a different aspect now that
 such perfect headquarters were at the disposal of its leaders.
 
 "Directly you are settled at La Frontenay," M. de Courson said, "I'll
-communicate with Prigent and d'Aché, and they can come over with de
+communicate with Prigent and d'Aché, and they can come over with de
 Puisaye as soon as you are ready to receive them. The park is so
 marvellously secluded and so extensive, that there is practically no
 fear of Bonaparte's spies being about, and I feel confident that our
@@ -5668,7 +5641,7 @@ gold, she had started out at an hour when even old Matthieu was not yet
 about; she had tiptoed out of the house, certain that she would not wake
 anyone; she had stolen out into the garden by way of the veranda, her
 soft, heelless shoes gliding noiselessly along the parquet floors as
-well as upon the flagged stones. She had then skirted the château, in
+well as upon the flagged stones. She had then skirted the château, in
 order to reach the park gates, only to find Laurent pacing up and down
 the avenue of limes, ostensibly engaged in reading a book, quite
 self-possessed and unconcerned, and exhibiting only the very slightest
@@ -5685,7 +5658,7 @@ extensive view of the gardens, and he had caught sight of her white
 dress flitting in among the trees.
 
 She did not wish to be caught stealing out of the precincts of the
-château like some country wench tripping to a rendezvous, so she had
+château like some country wench tripping to a rendezvous, so she had
 perforce to give up her matutinal excursions for a while, and to be
 content with an inward vision of poor Laurent getting up at break of day
 and cooling his heels morning after morning under the lime-trees while
@@ -5846,7 +5819,7 @@ How I walked I cannot tell. Meseems that fairies must have carried me."
 
 "Meseems that your work cannot of late have been very absorbing, _mon
 cousin_," she rejoined with well-assumed flippancy, "if you have spent
-every morning spying on my movements ten kilomètres away from your
+every morning spying on my movements ten kilomètres away from your
 home."
 
 "I would walk fifty on the chance of catching sight of you for five
@@ -5901,7 +5874,7 @@ hand out of his grasp, and now stood before him, tall, stately, with
 flaming cheeks and wrath-filled eyes, whilst a laugh of infinite scorn
 broke from her lips.
 
-"_Ah çà!_" she exclaimed, "you have methinks taken leave of your senses,
+"_Ah çà!_" she exclaimed, "you have methinks taken leave of your senses,
 _Monsieur mon cousin_. Or hath rumour lied again, when it averred that
 you led an abstemious life? The cellars of La Vieuville are well stocked
 with wine apparently, and its fumes have overclouded your brain, or you
@@ -6373,12 +6346,12 @@ whom Madame greeted most effusively:
 
 "M. de Puisaye!" she exclaimed. "It is really an honour for this house
 to harbour our valiant chief! And you too, my dear Monsieur Prigent, and
-M. d'Aché!" she continued, as the three men in turn kissed her slender,
+M. d'Aché!" she continued, as the three men in turn kissed her slender,
 finely-chiselled hand, then bowed to Mademoiselle Fernande and shook
 Laurent de Mortain by the hand.
 
 "What a presage of greater things to come," she added excitedly, "that
-you should be able to enter the grounds and the Château of La Frontenay
+you should be able to enter the grounds and the Château of La Frontenay
 like this, in open daylight ... without fear of spies!"
 
 The shorter of the three men--he whom Madame had addressed as de
@@ -6391,7 +6364,7 @@ already furrowed his face and dimmed the brightness of his eyes.
 me that you have everything ready for our big coup, and that all we need
 decide now is the day on which it were best to carry it through."
 
-"Optimistic as ever," broke in François Prigent, a tall, lean man, whose
+"Optimistic as ever," broke in François Prigent, a tall, lean man, whose
 threadbare coat was a miracle of neatness, his down-at-heel boots
 polished till they shone, and whose nails were carefully manicured. "Our
 friend Joseph already sees himself the master of the Maurel foundries."
@@ -6403,7 +6376,7 @@ foresee events, the foundries will be turning out arms and munitions for
 the King's Majesty within the week."
 
 "I should just like to hear exactly how we stand," here interposed the
-Vicomte d'Aché--a stout, florid man, with full lips and protruding eyes,
+Vicomte d'Aché--a stout, florid man, with full lips and protruding eyes,
 which he kept fixed on Mademoiselle de Courson with undisguised
 admiration. "De Puisaye has told me nothing definite; in fact, he has
 been talking somewhat at random. I never saw a man quite so confident of
@@ -6416,7 +6389,7 @@ of Normandy is more favourable to the King's cause than any that hath
 ever gone before anywhere. Of course, we all know the importance and the
 value of the La Frontenay foundries."
 
-"We do," assented d'Aché solemnly.
+"We do," assented d'Aché solemnly.
 
 "They belong to my nephew, Ronnay de Maurel. He inherited them from his
 father--who was my sister Denise's first husband--when he was a mere
@@ -6467,7 +6440,7 @@ fast now--so they say--he certainly kept an eye on his nephew's
 interests, with the help of a military commission whom the War Office
 sent down here at Ronnay's desire to supervise the armament works."
 
-"A military commission!" exclaimed d'Aché, with a contemptuous shrug of
+"A military commission!" exclaimed d'Aché, with a contemptuous shrug of
 his wide shoulders. "The War Office! Hark at the insolence of that
 Corsican upstart!"
 
@@ -6500,7 +6473,7 @@ unfortunate French nation is groaning under its Bonaparte."
 dire_--but so does the populace. We have had great difficulty in
 rallying the proletariat round here to their allegiance."
 
-"Well," interjected d'Aché somewhat impatiently, "what did this military
+"Well," interjected d'Aché somewhat impatiently, "what did this military
 commission do _enfin_? What did it consist of?"
 
 "It consisted of four or five exceedingly vulgar men in uniform, who
@@ -6523,7 +6496,7 @@ are ready to join us the moment your men march on La Frontenay."
 
 "Ah!" exclaimed de Puisaye, as he once more rubbed his wrinkled hands
 together with an excited gesture which seemed habitual to him. "Ah!
-there you have it at last, my good d'Aché. Our friend de Courson has
+there you have it at last, my good d'Aché. Our friend de Courson has
 explained the situation to you as it has been this past year; now let me
 tell you how we stand at this present, and what causes me to be so
 certain for the future. The two hundred men of whom de Courson speaks
@@ -6563,7 +6536,7 @@ had certain access to these men for the past year, and they seem to have
 made marvellous use of their opportunities."
 
 "I marvel that they were allowed to visit the foundries at all,"
-commented François Prigent.
+commented François Prigent.
 
 "We were only allowed the one visit," said Madame dryly. "Vardenne, my
 son's chief bailiff, engineered that for me. It seems that when Ronnay
@@ -6602,10 +6575,10 @@ had to fall back on the convicts in the powder factory."
 "With that man Paul Leroux as the chief asset," added M. de Courson.
 
 "Beggars must not be choosers," commented de Puisaye with a sigh. "Two
-hundred jail-birds in the King's cause," he added naïvely, "are better
+hundred jail-birds in the King's cause," he added naïvely, "are better
 than five hundred on the other side."
 
-"Well, and what about Leroux and his gang, then?" queried d'Aché.
+"Well, and what about Leroux and his gang, then?" queried d'Aché.
 
 "On the occasion of our only visit to the foundries," replied Madame,
 "my brother, Laurent and I had agreed that one of us must have
@@ -6653,7 +6626,7 @@ morning Laurent succeeded in clambering over the wall--though it is a
 high one--at exactly five minutes before eight o'clock, and managed to
 slip a message for Leroux into the hiding-place behind the stone."
 
-"It all sounds like a fairy tale!" broke in d'Aché enthusiastically.
+"It all sounds like a fairy tale!" broke in d'Aché enthusiastically.
 
 "Of course," here interposed M. de Courson, taking up the interrupted
 narrative, "after that, matters became comparatively simple. Leroux was
@@ -6685,7 +6658,7 @@ consideration. The epic of Leroux," added Madame with a laugh, "forms
 the comedy side of the palpitating drama which we have been enacting at
 La Frontenay these past twelve months."
 
-"Splendid! Marvellous!" acclaimed the men in chorus, and d'Aché, less
+"Splendid! Marvellous!" acclaimed the men in chorus, and d'Aché, less
 well informed than the others of what had been going on, added eagerly:
 "So much for the present; now what about the future?"
 
@@ -6702,7 +6675,7 @@ hand over the entire factory to us, lock, stock and barrel. He has both
 the power and the means to do it. With the factory in our hands, the
 foundries and armament works will fall to us automatically."
 
-"But how?" exclaimed d'Aché impassionedly, "in Heaven's name how?
+"But how?" exclaimed d'Aché impassionedly, "in Heaven's name how?
 Believe me, the whole thing still seems to me like a fairy-tale."
 
 "I am sure it does," she retorted gaily, "and yet it is all real ... so
@@ -6714,7 +6687,7 @@ Laurent obeyed readily and de Puisaye said approvingly:
 "Ah! you have the man here; that is good!"
 
 "He can come and go at will now, out of his working hours," said M. de
-Courson, "and for the past two weeks has been up to the château every
+Courson, "and for the past two weeks has been up to the château every
 day to make report to us, as to what is going on inside the factories.
 Comparative freedom is one of the privileges which have been granted him
 now that he is chief overseer."
@@ -6736,7 +6709,7 @@ averted from her aunt as well as from the three men, who seemed willing
 enough to while away these few minutes' suspense by casting admiring
 looks on the beautiful and silent girl by the window.
 
-"Mademoiselle de Courson," said d'Aché, who had always been known for
+"Mademoiselle de Courson," said d'Aché, who had always been known for
 his gallantry, "has not honoured us by an expression of opinion on any
 point as yet."
 
@@ -6845,7 +6818,7 @@ understand all that you will have to do."
 
 The gentlemen looked at one another in some consternation. Here was a
 problem which, simple as it seemed, nevertheless embodied a good many of
-the puzzles which would inevitably confront the old régime when it did
+the puzzles which would inevitably confront the old régime when it did
 succeed in re-establishing itself above the ruins and the ashes of
 Equality and of Fraternity. For a man in Leroux' position to dare think
 of sitting down in the presence of his seigneurs was, indeed, an
@@ -6948,10 +6921,10 @@ easily enough."
 compound back to the works without being seen or heard."
 
 "Oh, yes! if they are determined not to make a noise. It is not far to
-the factories. Less than a kilomètre. The roads are soft under foot.
+the factories. Less than a kilomètre. The roads are soft under foot.
 We'll be careful not to be seen or heard, you may be sure of that."
 
-"And once you are all back at the works?" queried M. d'Aché.
+"And once you are all back at the works?" queried M. d'Aché.
 
 "We'll just wait there, ready to let you in when you come," replied the
 man simply.
@@ -7068,11 +7041,11 @@ had made a favourable impression on them all.
 
 "He hates his present condition," commented M. de Courson dryly, "and
 would sell his soul, if he had one, to be freed from it. Bonaparte will
-find that it is a dangerous experiment," he added naïvely, "to try and
+find that it is a dangerous experiment," he added naïvely, "to try and
 use men like Leroux and his mates to help him prosecute his infamous
 wars."
 
-"I suppose," continued M. d'Aché, "that the mates on whom this man
+"I suppose," continued M. d'Aché, "that the mates on whom this man
 reckons are ex-convicts like himself?"
 
 "Oh, yes!" replied Madame la Marquise quite unabashed. "Most of the men
@@ -7112,23 +7085,23 @@ meanwhile, you, my dear de Courson, will march with two hundred men on
 Mortain, and Laurent with another two hundred on Domfront, and if you
 both are as clever and resourceful as I take you to be, you will each of
 you surprise the small garrison in those respective towns, seize the
-town-halls, collar the _sous-préfets_, and hold the forts until François
-Prigent, on the one hand, and our good d'Aché, on the other, arrive to
+town-halls, collar the _sous-préfets_, and hold the forts until François
+Prigent, on the one hand, and our good d'Aché, on the other, arrive to
 reinforce you, which should be at about midday."
 
 "Splendid!" ejaculated Laurent. "Monsieur Prigent and M. le Comte
-d'Aché will, of course, have marched all the way from Avranches?"
+d'Aché will, of course, have marched all the way from Avranches?"
 
 "Yes. We have another eight hundred men there; they are strong and
 eager, but, of course, there, as well as here, our trouble is the want
 of arms. With the armament stores of La Frontenay in our hands we shall
-be absolutely invincible. I propose, therefore, that Prigent and d'Aché
+be absolutely invincible. I propose, therefore, that Prigent and d'Aché
 march first on La Frontenay, equip themselves with arms and guns, and
 then divide into three companies, one to remain with us, one to march
 back on Mortain to reinforce M. de Courson, and the other to push on to
 Domfront. This manoeuvre will cause a little delay, but its advantages
 are, I think, so obvious that it needs no discussing. With Domfront and
-Tinchebrai in our hands, we can think of La Ferté-Macé. Our brilliant
+Tinchebrai in our hands, we can think of La Ferté-Macé. Our brilliant
 success--for it will be a very brilliant success--will rally a great
 many waverers around us, and, of course, holding the foundries and
 factories of La Frontenay will make us literally the masters of
@@ -7138,7 +7111,7 @@ friends! my dear friends!" he added, his voice hoarse and choked with
 excitement, "what a day! what prospects! what a future! Madame la
 Marquise, by coming back to settle in these parts, by effecting a
 reconciliation with your eldest son and installing yourself in this
-château, you have reconquered France for our King!"
+château, you have reconquered France for our King!"
 
 Madame's eyes were moist with pride and emotion. Laurent could no longer
 sit still; he was pacing up and down the narrow room, and for the moment
@@ -7181,7 +7154,7 @@ out all the small arms that he can; then directly I arrive I can get
 what guns there are into position, and prepare for a regular siege if
 it is necessary. I cannot help wishing that the next morning may see us
 attacked in full force by de Maurel's work-people, for then, when
-Prigent and d'Aché come upon the scene, they would get the attacking
+Prigent and d'Aché come upon the scene, they would get the attacking
 party in the rear, and though insufficiently armed, they would,
 nevertheless, effect heavy slaughter, and gain an immediate and
 brilliant victory."
@@ -7198,10 +7171,10 @@ possibilities in it. The general consensus of opinion was that failure
 was absolutely out of the question. Never, since the English agencies
 had withdrawn their active support, had the prospects of a successful
 Royalist rising been so rosy. De Puisaye was glowing with enthusiasm,
-Prigent had laid aside his solemnity, d'Aché ceased to ogle Fernande;
+Prigent had laid aside his solemnity, d'Aché ceased to ogle Fernande;
 even M. de Courson's pale cheeks were flushed. As for Madame--she was
 already present in thoughts at the first reception which Queen
-Marie-Joséphine-Louise would be holding at the Tuileries. As for
+Marie-Joséphine-Louise would be holding at the Tuileries. As for
 Fernande, everyone was fortunately too much excited, too much engrossed
 in schemes and plans to pay much attention to her, or her silence and
 extraordinary aloofness from the all-absorbing topic of conversation
@@ -7361,7 +7334,7 @@ turned to Madame la Marquise and, closing the door behind him, strode
 into the room.
 
 "Nay, my good Laurent," replied Madame testily, "that I cannot do. The
-explanation of this extraordinary outburst on the part of your fiancée
+explanation of this extraordinary outburst on the part of your fiancée
 can only come from her. As for myself, I confess that I am utterly
 bewildered by this torrent of recrimination which Fernande has chosen to
 let loose upon us all. It seems that M. de Puisaye is a murderer and we
@@ -7494,7 +7467,7 @@ actions criticized, nor the callousness of her heart brought so crudely
 to the light of day. She was very angry with Fernande, and seeing that
 Laurent's jealousy had been very fully aroused by the scene which he had
 witnessed, she was willing to let her son be the avenger of her own
-offended dignity. She knew that Laurent could make his fiancée suffer
+offended dignity. She knew that Laurent could make his fiancée suffer
 acutely while he was a prey to one of his moods, and that he would find
 many a word wherewith to wound her as deeply as she had dared to wound
 his mother.
@@ -7528,7 +7501,7 @@ doing considerable harm by irritating her son's nerves with her spiteful
 promptings, at a moment when he had need of all his coolness and courage
 to accomplish the important task which his chief had assigned to him.
 The campaign would begin now in earnest; Laurent would perforce be often
-separated from his fiancée, and the cause of King Louis would be ill
+separated from his fiancée, and the cause of King Louis would be ill
 served if his heart and his thoughts remained at La Frontenay while he
 was leading a surprise attack upon Domfront. This being, as always,
 Madame la Marquise de Mortain's primary consideration, she drew in her
@@ -7573,7 +7546,7 @@ forty-eight hours. It were best, so M. de Courson decided, that they
 should go immediately to Courson and make arrangements for mustering
 their men there before the general rally in the Cerf-Volant woods two
 days later. Laurent would have wished to take a final, impassioned
-farewell of his fiancée, but on this M. de Courson--as his senior and
+farewell of his fiancée, but on this M. de Courson--as his senior and
 his leader--pronounced a decided veto. This was not the time for
 sentimental dalliance and indulgence in nerve-racking fits of jealousy.
 Laurent now was amenable to military discipline, which was all the more
@@ -7592,7 +7565,7 @@ read within their limpid depths all that he would have longed to find,
 of love, of ardour and of fidelity, he braced himself up for a great
 effort, and with, at any rate, outward calm, he bade his mother an
 affectionate farewell and finally followed M. de Courson out of the
-château.
+château.
 
 Madame la Marquise, from the window beside which she was standing, was
 able to watch the two slim figures--her son and her brother--as they
@@ -7679,7 +7652,7 @@ chestnuts which others had pulled out of the fire for them. De Maurel
 was one of those who would have preferred their idolized Emperor to sit
 at home after this last campaign, to enjoy the fruit of his victories
 and to prove to the world that France, when she divested herself of the
-old régime, had gained a benefactor, even though she had had to pass
+old régime, had gained a benefactor, even though she had had to pass
 through fire and water, through crime and ignominy, ere she got him. But
 to know Napoleon intimately, as did the privileged few, was to realize
 that measureless ambition which was destined to hurl him, not only down
@@ -7727,7 +7700,7 @@ with M. de Courson, and Mademoiselle Fernande had remained with her aunt
 during the absence of M. le Marquis; but neither she nor Madame had done
 more than pay the one visit to the foundries as the orders of the War
 Office authorities were very peremptory on that point. The ladies were
-seldom seen outside the limits of the château; they had dismissed all
+seldom seen outside the limits of the château; they had dismissed all
 the servants whom Vardenne had engaged for them locally, and replaced
 them gradually by importations of their own.
 
@@ -7843,7 +7816,7 @@ very soul: "You love me, Fernande!"
 
 And as she wandered on, she lost count of time, and soon she found that
 she had lost her way. She had never entered the La Frontenay woods from
-the direction of the château since first she came to stay there, and she
+the direction of the château since first she came to stay there, and she
 had no idea now which way to turn in order to go back home again. Soon
 she felt tired and dispirited; she did not know how long she had been
 wandering, nor how far she had gone.
@@ -7933,7 +7906,7 @@ deepened, and to Fernande's keen senses it seemed as if they held no
 small measure of scorn as well.
 
 "I thank you," she said coolly. "It was _ma tante's_ intention to send
-you an announcement of our _fiançailles_, but we only heard yesterday
+you an announcement of our _fiançailles_, but we only heard yesterday
 with any certainty that you had returned."
 
 "There is no occasion for my mother to trouble herself about such
@@ -8004,7 +7977,7 @@ wafted through the trees.
 
 "The bear must dance again, eh?" rejoined de Maurel harshly. "He may
 prove dangerous if he slips his chain. I wonder what it is that does go
-on inside La Frontenay that all this _mise en scène_ should have been
+on inside La Frontenay that all this _mise en scène_ should have been
 resorted to once more in order to hoodwink me?"
 
 Fernande drew back as if she had been struck. A hot flush rose to the
@@ -8135,14 +8108,14 @@ I
 Fernande had said nothing to Madame la Marquise of her rencontre with
 Ronnay de Maurel. Of a truth, Madame, despite her many promises to
 Laurent, had not kept a very close eye on her niece's movements.
-Fernande had been away from the château during the best part of the
+Fernande had been away from the château during the best part of the
 morning; she came home with tear-stained eyes, and her gown had
 obviously trailed in the mud, but Madame apparently noticed nothing. All
-the day she wandered about the château in a perfect fever of excitement.
+the day she wandered about the château in a perfect fever of excitement.
 In the afternoon a runner came over from Courson with news from all the
 chiefs. The next day was now irrevocably fixed upon for the attack on
 the foundries. Leroux was to be given his final instructions, and Madame
-herself be prepared to hold the château against any assault delivered
+herself be prepared to hold the château against any assault delivered
 against it by the local peasantry, who no doubt were well armed by de
 Maurel and had been drilled against any emergency.
 
@@ -8150,7 +8123,7 @@ M. de Courson had added a special note to the letter telling Madame,
 that the Comte de Puisaye had decided to send his friend Prigent with
 forty or fifty men to La Frontenay in case of attack.
 
-"The château can very easily be held," M. de Courson's note went on,
+"The château can very easily be held," M. de Courson's note went on,
 "and we have no fears for you, knowing your energy and resourcefulness.
 Give Leroux the fullest instructions possible, then do not send for him
 again during the day. I have an idea that he is being watched by spies
@@ -8163,7 +8136,7 @@ further two hundred, and hath now a force of over six on the further
 side of Mortain. Everything, therefore, is for the best, and nothing but
 some absolutely unforeseen accident can now rob us of success. Above
 all, I entreat you, my dear sister, be as silent and discreet as the
-grave. Remember that walls of French châteaux have oft had ears in the
+grave. Remember that walls of French châteaux have oft had ears in the
 course of their history. Speak to no one of our plan for to-morrow ...
 not to Matthieu Renard, not to his wife. Do not discuss it with Fernande
 in the presence of those whom you think most loyal. To-morrow afternoon
@@ -8210,7 +8183,7 @@ Fernande to do so.
 She couched her message in loving and reassuring terms, but she said
 nothing to Fernande on the subject. Why, she could not herself have
 said. There was no reason why the girl should not be told that her
-fiancé was in the throes of a maddening attack of jealousy, and that a
+fiancé was in the throes of a maddening attack of jealousy, and that a
 word from her might soothe his perturbed spirit and restore to him that
 courage of which he would presently be in such sore need. But Madame had
 a horror of anything that might present her beloved son in an
@@ -8225,7 +8198,7 @@ orders. Obedience in that case meant military discipline, and rather
 flattered Madame's sense of her own importance and responsibility. She
 spent the best part of the day in her own room, and, entirely
 self-absorbed, she completely ignored Fernande's presence and Fernande's
-movements. From the château she could see or hear nothing of the bustle
+movements. From the château she could see or hear nothing of the bustle
 and movement of the distant factories, but it seemed to her as if their
 unheard throbbings found their echo against her heart. To-morrow, she
 thought, they would for the last time manufacture engines of war to help
@@ -8299,7 +8272,7 @@ justifiable in the sight of God.
 "Bid me fight, _ma tante_," she retorted proudly, "side by side with my
 father; bid me meet the enemies of my King in loyal combat, and I'll
 warrant you'll not find me weak or cowardly. Fight! Yes, let us
-fight--fight as did George Cadoudal and Louis de Frotté and Henri de la
+fight--fight as did George Cadoudal and Louis de Frotté and Henri de la
 Rochejaquelin--let us fight like men, but not like criminals. In God's
 name let us not stoop to murder."
 
@@ -8363,7 +8336,7 @@ from her mind just as readily as she had dismissed any slight twinge of
 remorse which Fernande's words might have caused to arise in her heart.
 
 Leroux, gruff and surly as usual, had been shown into a small library
-adjoining the great entrance-hall of the château, a room which M. de
+adjoining the great entrance-hall of the château, a room which M. de
 Courson had of late used as an office for transacting the correspondence
 of his party and receiving any messengers sent to him by one of his
 chiefs. Here the man had waited, while Madame was being detained
@@ -8384,9 +8357,9 @@ high-backed chair, and graciously waved her hand to Leroux in token that
 he, too, might sit down.
 
 "Yesterday I wanted to come here and speak with you about one or two
-matters," replied the man, "when I met the Maréchal upon the high road."
+matters," replied the man, "when I met the Maréchal upon the high road."
 
-"The Maréchal?" queried Madame, with a supercilious lift of the
+"The Maréchal?" queried Madame, with a supercilious lift of the
 eyebrows.
 
 "Why, yes! Our General is Marshal of France now," said Leroux with a
@@ -8421,7 +8394,7 @@ enough."
 
 "Very well, then, what happened after that?"
 
-"The Maréchal told me that though the military representatives had
+"The Maréchal told me that though the military representatives had
 appointed me chief overseer, he himself had not confirmed that
 appointment, nor would he confirm it, he said, till I showed myself
 really worthy of his confidence. He didn't say much, for he is never
@@ -8431,8 +8404,8 @@ way that I didn't like."
 "Never mind how he looked. Did he say anything else?"
 
 "Yes. He told me that he expressly forbade every one of his men to have
-any intercourse with the château, and that I was distinctly to
-understand that he forbade me most strictly to come to the château, or
+any intercourse with the château, and that I was distinctly to
+understand that he forbade me most strictly to come to the château, or
 to hold converse with any of its inmates."
 
 Madame bit her lip and her slender white fingers beat an impatient
@@ -8491,7 +8464,7 @@ open that door without any thought of an approaching calamity.
 
 Old Matthieu Renard was at the door.
 
-"It is M. le Maréchal," he said simply.
+"It is M. le Maréchal," he said simply.
 
 Strangely enough, although both he and his wife were firmly attached to
 M. de Courson and to Madame la Marquise, they had never thoroughly
@@ -8573,7 +8546,7 @@ had wholly forgotten us."
 He bowed low over the gracious hand, and even touched the finger-tips
 with his lips.
 
-"You look more bronzed than ever, M. le Maréchal," added Madame with an
+"You look more bronzed than ever, M. le Maréchal," added Madame with an
 arch smile, "and your numerous new dignities and the added gorgeousness
 of your uniform will play sadder havoc than ever before in the hearts of
 our impressionable young girls. You have come to pay me a long visit, I
@@ -8592,7 +8565,7 @@ in her mind whether she would deny Leroux' presence in the house
 altogether--feign ignorance of it, and risk an exposure which might
 prove disastrous and certainly would be humiliating. It all depended on
 how much Ronnay really knew. If he had actually seen Leroux entering the
-château, denial would be positively fatal; if his attitude at this
+château, denial would be positively fatal; if his attitude at this
 moment only rested on surmise, then it might prove a good card to play.
 Unfortunately time pressed, and she was forced to decide on a course of
 action in the space of a few seconds while de Maurel kept dark,
@@ -8656,7 +8629,7 @@ fear would culminate in disaster. But there was no one near to help her
 out of her difficulty. Fernande had not left her room, M. de Courson
 and Laurent were far away, and even old Matthieu had very discreetly
 retired as soon as he saw Madame la Marquise in close conversation with
-"M. le Maréchal."
+"M. le Maréchal."
 
 There was silence in the vast pillared hall for a second or two while
 these two equally firm wills stood up in bitter conflict one against the
@@ -8838,7 +8811,7 @@ tortuous brain, and he contrived, after a moment or two of hesitation,
 to throw a reassuring look to Madame la Marquise. Then he turned to de
 Maurel, and said with an air of contrition and of shamefacedness:
 
-"I was forgetting myself just now, was I not, M. le Maréchal? But even
+"I was forgetting myself just now, was I not, M. le Maréchal? But even
 Madame la Marquise has deigned to admit that you have been unduly harsh
 with me. I have worked in your factories for over two years now; you
 will not, I hope, degrade me before all my mates in any hurry."
@@ -9012,7 +8985,7 @@ He made no reply. Madame's searching gaze was fixed upon him; she would
 have given worlds to divine his thoughts. On the whole, she felt
 reassured that he knew nothing of the vital issues which centred round
 the powder factory to-night. She was pretty certain that Leroux would
-try to see her again to-day--he had probably not left the château, and
+try to see her again to-day--he had probably not left the château, and
 was waiting his opportunity to have speech with her as soon as de Maurel
 had gone. Something would have to be devised, something thought of, to
 meet the unlooked-for eventuality of de Maurel's presence at the factory
@@ -9079,7 +9052,7 @@ She put down her pen again, and pushing her chair away from the table,
 she rose with an impatient, nervy little sigh. Despite the warmth of
 this June afternoon she shivered, almost as if she felt cold.
 
-Somewhere in the château a distant clock struck six.
+Somewhere in the château a distant clock struck six.
 
 
 
@@ -9167,7 +9140,7 @@ She made no reply, but lifted her handkerchief up to her mouth in order
 to smother the cry which had so instinctively risen to her lips.
 
 "I thought," resumed the man gruffly, "that you would wish to know that,
-as far as I am concerned, the Maréchal's interference will not affect
+as far as I am concerned, the Maréchal's interference will not affect
 our plans in any way. There's plenty of time between now and the close
 of day to talk things over with my mates. Do not be afraid, my fine
 lady, we are prepared for every eventuality."
@@ -9175,7 +9148,7 @@ lady, we are prepared for every eventuality."
 "Prepared?" she asked, and her voice sounded choked and hoarse.
 "Prepared?" she reiterated. "In what way do you mean?"
 
-"Well, we must assume that the Maréchal is not coming down in force
+"Well, we must assume that the Maréchal is not coming down in force
 to-night to turn me out of my Lodge, mustn't we?" he queried with a
 snarl.
 
@@ -9234,10 +9207,10 @@ contemptuous familiarity:
 
 "As they were," replied Madame.
 
-The man turned on his heel and started whistling the old "_Ça ira_" of
+The man turned on his heel and started whistling the old "_Ça ira_" of
 Revolution times through his teeth.
 
-"_Ça ira! Ça ira! Les aristos à la lanterne!_"
+"_Ça ira! Ça ira! Les aristos à la lanterne!_"
 
 His hand was already on the handle of the door, when he looked once more
 over his shoulder and said roughly:
@@ -9247,7 +9220,7 @@ over his shoulder and said roughly:
 "That is out of the question," replied Madame coldly.
 
 "Because you know, my good woman," he said, still over his shoulder, as
-he opened the door and stepped across the threshold, "if the Maréchal
+he opened the door and stepped across the threshold, "if the Maréchal
 gives us trouble to-night and your people fail us afterwards, it will
 mean hanging for some of us."
 
@@ -9317,7 +9290,7 @@ Mortain, the latter continued sternly:
 "Yes."
 
 For a moment or two longer the two women stood looking keenly into one
-another's eyes. The vast château was solitary and still; not a sound
+another's eyes. The vast château was solitary and still; not a sound
 came from within, and the heavy doors shut out effectually all the many
 sounds which fill the air on a warm, midsummer afternoon: the call of
 thrush and blackbird, the distant croaking of frogs and cooing of
@@ -9487,7 +9460,7 @@ THE STRAW
 
 I
 
-The clock in the tower of the château struck nine when Fernande, wrapped
+The clock in the tower of the château struck nine when Fernande, wrapped
 in a dark cloak and with a hood thrown over her head, stole on tip-toe
 across the hall and slipped through the glazed doors and down the perron
 steps. She went along with utmost caution, peering all round her ere she
@@ -9509,11 +9482,11 @@ little beasts that ran scurrying by.
 From over the hills there came from time to time the roll of distant
 thunder, and ever and anon a flash of summer lightning threw for the
 merest fraction of a second a weird glow on the far-off woods, and the
-vague outline of the factory buildings some three kilomètres away.
+vague outline of the factory buildings some three kilomètres away.
 
 Fernando, holding her cloak tightly around her, slipped through the
 postern gate, and found herself in the lane which after a few hundred
-mètres abuts on the high road; from this point the foundries could be
+mètres abuts on the high road; from this point the foundries could be
 reached in a little over half an hour. She walked as quickly as the
 darkness would allow. She had never been along this way before, but she
 knew that she could not miss it. Darkness was her friend and her ally in
@@ -9525,7 +9498,7 @@ hands and foundry men had, for the most part, returned to their homes;
 here and there in the distance a tiny light from a cottage window
 glimmered feebly like a yellow winking eye out of the surrounding
 blackness; and up on the height the village of La Vieuville clustered
-around its church and its château.
+around its church and its château.
 
 After the excitement and the soul agony of the day, Fernande felt
 perfectly calm. The horrible alternative which Madame la Marquise had so
@@ -9588,7 +9561,7 @@ light at intervals, and inside the precincts a few of the windows showed
 a light, whilst higher up two clock-towers loomed out of the darkness
 like monster glow-worms.
 
-Fernande walked a few hundred mètres further on and then she came to a
+Fernande walked a few hundred mètres further on and then she came to a
 standstill, trying to co-ordinate her recollections of the place. That
 time--a year ago--de Maurel had conducted her through the foundries
 first, and then he had led her through a gate in the iron fencing,
@@ -9606,7 +9579,7 @@ Now when she closed her eyes, shutting away the confusion of lights
 which flickered through the impenetrable shadows, she was able to
 visualize the locality more accurately. The foundries obviously lay to
 her right behind the iron fencing; the powder factory lay beyond, some
-two-thirds of a kilomètre away, isolated, and well away from the road
+two-thirds of a kilomètre away, isolated, and well away from the road
 inside its high encircling walls. With the various positions thus fixed
 upon her mind, Fernande advanced more boldly. Her heart was beating
 tumultuously in her bosom--not with fear, but with vague wonderment as
@@ -9654,7 +9627,7 @@ a year ago.
 Her memory had not deceived her; after a minute or two she struck the
 path and at once turned to walk rapidly along it. Darkness here was
 absolute; there were no lanthorns fixed either in the wall or the
-fencing, only a couple of hundred mètres on ahead a tiny glimmer of
+fencing, only a couple of hundred mètres on ahead a tiny glimmer of
 light flickered feebly through the gloom. Fernande was walking more
 cautiously now, and she felt the wall as she went all along with her
 hand. She had fixed her eyes on that tiny glimmer which seemed to her
@@ -9679,7 +9652,7 @@ would be put to the test, where she would have to rely upon herself,
 upon her own eloquence, her own personality, in order to compel a few
 miscreants to abandon their dastardly purpose.
 
-For the first time here, where only a few mètres separated her from that
+For the first time here, where only a few mètres separated her from that
 band of assassins, she realized the possibility of failure; and she
 realized that her plan, which had seemed so simple and so direct at
 home, was, indeed, like a mere straw at which a dying man might clutch.
@@ -9791,7 +9764,7 @@ insolence imprinted upon his face.
 men's work to be done here to-night. 'Tis not a place for women."
 
 "I know that," replied Fernande boldly; "the work that I am doing now is
-really men's work. It is nearly four kilomètres from La Frontenay, and I
+really men's work. It is nearly four kilomètres from La Frontenay, and I
 have walked all the way. The storm will be at its height ere I can get
 home again. Think you I would have come, had it not been a matter of
 life and death?"
@@ -9803,7 +9776,7 @@ hear men moving and whispering. How many of them there were she could
 not say. She was here all alone, unknown to every one at home, at the
 mercy of men who already had every conceivable crime upon their
 conscience. Not that she feared any violence on their part; she was
-under the unseen ægis of their new employers, of those who were paying
+under the unseen ægis of their new employers, of those who were paying
 them for the abominable work which was to be done this night. She had no
 thought of her own personal safety. What she dreaded was the failure of
 her enterprise, a failure which would result, perhaps, in her being
@@ -9841,7 +9814,7 @@ thinking that you had misinterpreted her thoughts...."
 Maurel's cause--what?" retorted the creature with a snarl. "But if you
 have come here, my wench, in order to stand between me and that man,
 then the sooner you go back home the better it will be for you. You can
-tell Madame la Marquise that I'll deal with the Maréchal as I choose ...
+tell Madame la Marquise that I'll deal with the Maréchal as I choose ...
 and if he were twenty times her son and twenty times your lover."
 
 "You forget yourself, Leroux," said Fernande with quiet dignity,
@@ -9909,7 +9882,7 @@ if to enjoin silence, then placed a grimy finger to his lips.
 And Fernande, straining her ears to listen, caught the clicking sound of
 an iron latch and the creaking of a gate upon its hinges.
 
-"Here comes M. le Maréchal," said Leroux curtly.
+"Here comes M. le Maréchal," said Leroux curtly.
 
 At once and with sudden impulse Fernande had drawn back hastily out of
 the circle of light into the dense shadow cast by the tall storehouse.
@@ -9937,7 +9910,7 @@ With an exclamation of loathing, Fernande managed to disengage her
 wrist, and a savage oath escaped the vile creature's lips.
 
 "Well, which is it to be?" he queried fiercely. "Am I to speak with the
-Maréchal or are you?"
+Maréchal or are you?"
 
 With an almost superhuman effort Fernande contrived to conquer the
 feeling of sheer physical nausea wherewith this abominable wretch
@@ -9951,7 +9924,7 @@ for the life of M. de Maurel."
 "Tshaw!" he exclaimed contemptuously.
 
 Then suddenly, as the imminence of the catastrophe appeared to come
-nearer and nearer the while that firm footstep, still a few mètres
+nearer and nearer the while that firm footstep, still a few mètres
 away, dragged along the flagstones of the yard, Fernande suddenly felt
 all her pride falling away from her.
 
@@ -10029,7 +10002,7 @@ out this afternoon. You had best go quietly now, my man ... or there'll
 be trouble."
 
 "Trouble?" riposted Leroux with a sneer. "I doubt not but that there
-will be trouble this night, M. le Maréchal...."
+will be trouble this night, M. le Maréchal...."
 
 His first instinctive terror at sight of the man whom he feared above
 all others was gradually falling away from him. He had turned on his
@@ -10040,7 +10013,7 @@ himself and the employer whom he was pledged to betray. The sense of
 their presence close by gave him a measure of defiance and of courage.
 
 De Maurel stood quite still for a moment or two, then he retraced his
-steps and came back to within a mètre or so of where the man was
+steps and came back to within a mètre or so of where the man was
 standing.
 
 "You are contemplating mischief, Leroux," he said with his accustomed
@@ -10051,7 +10024,7 @@ also how severe. This night's work can only end in disaster for you ...
 the gallows probably, unless you realize that submission even at this
 eleventh hour will be your best policy."
 
-"Very well spoken, M. le Maréchal," retorted Leroux, with a sneer; "but
+"Very well spoken, M. le Maréchal," retorted Leroux, with a sneer; "but
 let me tell you that the hour has gone by when your arrogance and your
 threats had the power to cow me. To-day I am a desperate man, and
 desperate men are not apt to count the costs of their actions. I will
@@ -10061,7 +10034,7 @@ He paused and shrugged his shoulders. De Maurel had thrown down his
 bundle and transferred the lanthorn to his left hand, whilst with his
 right he drew a pistol from beneath his blouse.
 
-"Put away that weapon, M. le Maréchal," said Leroux, "it will avail you
+"Put away that weapon, M. le Maréchal," said Leroux, "it will avail you
 nothing. There are twenty of us inside the Lodge, all well armed. Twenty
 others overpowered your night-watchmen half an hour ago. We are
 expecting a fresh contingent of our mates from the compound at any
@@ -10208,7 +10181,7 @@ senseless mutiny? To overpower the watchmen for one night and run riot
 through the factories? To-morrow must bring reprisals. Ye know that well
 enough."
 
-"To-morrow you'll no longer be here, M. le Maréchal," sneered Leroux,
+"To-morrow you'll no longer be here, M. le Maréchal," sneered Leroux,
 who, though losing blood freely, had still sufficient strength left to
 maintain his position as ringleader of the gang. "To-morrow you'll not
 be here," he reiterated roughly, "to browbeat and threaten us."
@@ -10416,7 +10389,7 @@ the men listened to him in sullen silence; the magnetic influence which
 "the General" had exercised over them in the past was not altogether
 gone; his powerful personality, his cool courage, the simplicity of his
 words, reacted upon their evil natures, and also upon their cowardice.
-There was a vast deal of common sense in what M. le Maréchal was saying,
+There was a vast deal of common sense in what M. le Maréchal was saying,
 and they, after all, had only been promised a hundred francs apiece for
 an exceedingly risky piece of work. But there were some ringleaders
 among them who expected to get far more out of their treachery than a
@@ -10427,7 +10400,7 @@ above all, Leroux--felt also that they were committed too far now to
 dare to draw back, and even while de Maurel spoke they broke in on his
 words with sneers and taunts, and, above all, with threats.
 
-"You seem to think, M. le Maréchal," said Leroux in husky tones--for he
+"You seem to think, M. le Maréchal," said Leroux in husky tones--for he
 was getting feeble with loss of blood--"you seem to think that I and my
 mates are here to murder you."
 
@@ -10439,13 +10412,13 @@ evil will with my property?"
 
 "Yes! yes!" came with a volley of savage oaths from every side.
 
-"Throw up your hands, M. le Maréchal," added a voice from the crowd,
+"Throw up your hands, M. le Maréchal," added a voice from the crowd,
 "and we'll see that neither you nor your sweetheart come to any harm!"
 
 "Silence, you blackguard," thundered de Maurel fiercely, "or, by God,
 I'll pick you out of the crowd and shoot you like the dog that you are."
 
-"Throw up your hands, M. le Maréchal," broke in Leroux roughly; "the men
+"Throw up your hands, M. le Maréchal," broke in Leroux roughly; "the men
 have no quarrel with you. But cease to defy and threaten them, or by
 Satan there'll be trouble."
 
@@ -10457,7 +10430,7 @@ upon your heads."
 A shout of derision greeted these words.
 
 "The consequences of your folly will descend on your head, M. le
-Maréchal," sneered Leroux. "Get out of our way. We have parleyed enough.
+Maréchal," sneered Leroux. "Get out of our way. We have parleyed enough.
 Eh, my mates?"
 
 "Yes! yes! enough talk," some of them cried, whilst others added
@@ -10486,7 +10459,7 @@ crowd. The sound appeared as the signal for the breaking down of the
 last barrier which held these men's murderous passions in check.
 
 "'Tis our turn to command," shouted Leroux excitedly. "Throw up your
-hands, M. le Maréchal, or...."
+hands, M. le Maréchal, or...."
 
 "Down with the muskets!" cried de Maurel in thunderous accents, that
 reached to the furthermost ends of the vast quadrangle, "or by the
@@ -10521,7 +10494,7 @@ under the lash of the tamer, he added with withering scorn:
 for the Empire of France! You fools! You wretched, slinking, cowardly
 fools!"
 
-"In God's name, M. le Maréchal!" came in an awed whisper from one or two
+"In God's name, M. le Maréchal!" came in an awed whisper from one or two
 men in the forefront of the crowd--"in God's name throw away that
 light!"
 
@@ -10529,7 +10502,7 @@ light!"
 
 A hundred muskets fell with a dull clatter to the ground.
 
-"The light, M. le Maréchal! the light...!"
+"The light, M. le Maréchal! the light...!"
 
 "Now one of you ring the alarm bell!"
 
@@ -10553,7 +10526,7 @@ such an appalling death.
 A moment or so later the first clang of the alarm bell reverberated
 through the manifold sounds of the storm. It was followed almost
 immediately by the multisonous hooting of sirens in the distance and the
-peal of the alarm bell from the foundry half a kilomètre away.
+peal of the alarm bell from the foundry half a kilomètre away.
 
 And as the measured sounds of the bells and the sirens swelled to one
 majestic resonance, drowning now the roll of thunder and the soughing of
@@ -10784,7 +10757,7 @@ seemed disinclined to render her service, and over her head wherein
 tumultuous thoughts still refused to be marshalled in orderly array it
 meant, in fact, waiting for an opportunity to slip away as soon as she
 could. She knew in which direction lay the postern gate, and she knew
-her way back to La Frontenay. If she only could reach the château within
+her way back to La Frontenay. If she only could reach the château within
 the next half-hour, some means might yet be found to acquaint de Puisaye
 of what had occurred. She wondered vaguely how much de Maurel knew at
 this hour of what was in preparation over by Mortain, or what he could
@@ -11023,20 +10996,20 @@ firmly: "It were best that I went alone."
 He stood aside, and as she moved away from him, he called loudly:
 "Mathurin!"
 
-"Here, M. le Maréchal," came from a distant corner of the quadrangle,
+"Here, M. le Maréchal," came from a distant corner of the quadrangle,
 and hurrying footsteps drew quickly near in answer to the master's call.
 Fernande, the while, busied herself with her cloak.
 
 "Mathurin," said de Maurel curtly, as soon as the overseer was in sight.
 "Detail two of the men whom you can best trust--Henri Gresset and Michel
 Picart, if you can spare them--to escort Mademoiselle de Courson back to
-the château."
+the château."
 
-"Very good, M. le Maréchal," replied Mathurin.
+"Very good, M. le Maréchal," replied Mathurin.
 
 "Tell them to await Mademoiselle at the postern gate."
 
-"It shall be done, M. le Maréchal."
+"It shall be done, M. le Maréchal."
 
 Then Mathurin saluted and turned on his heel. It was not his place to
 question or to show surprise. Even in the most remote cell of his brain
@@ -11189,7 +11162,7 @@ niece.
 But she strove in vain to do likewise with those of her son. His face
 haunted her during those hours of lonely vigil in the privacy of her own
 room, while she waited for the first breath of news which would come
-wafted on the wings of the storm from the foundries to the Château of La
+wafted on the wings of the storm from the foundries to the Château of La
 Frontenay. She had steeled her heart against Ronnay--her eldest
 born--the son of the man whom she had hated beyond every other human
 creature on this earth. She had hated Ronnay during all the years that
@@ -11391,7 +11364,7 @@ more in it than that, and...."
 "Because," he began, speaking slowly and measuredly, and Denise de
 Mortain had no cause to complain now that her son did not look her
 squarely in the face--"because two hours ago I saw Fernande stealing out
-of the château, wrapped in a dark cloak and alone, and making her way
+of the château, wrapped in a dark cloak and alone, and making her way
 across the park. I did not want her to see me, so I stole to the gates
 and there watched for her coming. I wished to know whither she was going
 and I was determined to follow her. I watched and I waited, marvelling
@@ -11407,7 +11380,7 @@ him, and as soon as his back was turned I started to run in the wake, as
 I thought, of Fernande. Then I came to a cross-road, where there was a
 sign-post, one arm of which bore the legend: 'La Frontenay,' and the
 other, 'La Vieuville.' La Vieuville, where my brother dwells! I spelt
-out every letter. I saw that it was distant five kilomètres. La
+out every letter. I saw that it was distant five kilomètres. La
 Vieuville! Fernande had gone to La Vieuville to betray us all to Ronnay
 de Maurel!"
 
@@ -11418,7 +11391,7 @@ to love."
 "Mad!" he riposted. "Of course I am mad! Did I not tell you that I had
 become mad?"
 
-"What were you doing outside the gates of this château at nine o'clock
+"What were you doing outside the gates of this château at nine o'clock
 to-night when...."
 
 "When I should have been at Mortain," he broke in with a strident laugh,
@@ -11444,7 +11417,7 @@ spoken with her and be back at my post long before now. Even so, there
 is no harm done. Our contingent was not due to start until midnight. I
 have arranged with de Fleurot--in case I was detained--that he shall
 start at the appointed hour, and I would pick up the company at the
-cross-roads less than a kilomètre from here and not more than three from
+cross-roads less than a kilomètre from here and not more than three from
 Domfront. But I should have been back at Mortain long before now," he
 reiterated testily, "only when I saw Fernande stealing out of the park
 like a pert wench going to meet her gallant, I lost my head and I
@@ -11458,9 +11431,9 @@ followed her."
 
 "No."
 
-"Had she been to the château?"
+"Had she been to the château?"
 
-"No one could tell me. The château was shut up and dark. I hammered on
+"No one could tell me. The château was shut up and dark. I hammered on
 the door. No one replied. I would have broken in the door, but it
 resisted my every onslaught."
 
@@ -11472,7 +11445,7 @@ would have shot him ... him and Fernande too."
 "How long did you wait?"
 
 "I don't know ... half an hour perhaps--perhaps more. No one came. The
-château was deserted. Somewhere in it, no doubt, Gaston de Maurel, that
+château was deserted. Somewhere in it, no doubt, Gaston de Maurel, that
 old reprobate, lay dying. But I realized that Fernande was not there, so
 I came away."
 
@@ -11607,7 +11580,7 @@ Mortain goes philandering after a petticoat!"
 But the sting of her last words had not the time to reach him. Already
 he had run to the door, tearing it open as he ran; the next moment his
 scurrying footsteps were heard echoing all through the silent
-château--along the vast corridors, down the monumental staircase and
+château--along the vast corridors, down the monumental staircase and
 across the marble hall, until the clang of the great glazed doors
 proclaimed that he was out of the house.
 
@@ -11650,7 +11623,7 @@ The boudoir was dark, only from the next room there came the feeble rays
 of reflected light from the lamp. With a cry of burning anxiety Fernande
 ran to Madame. Denise de Mortain had knelt before the open window ever
 since her son's flying footsteps had ceased to resound through the
-château; she had knelt here absolutely prostrate with grief, her heart
+château; she had knelt here absolutely prostrate with grief, her heart
 tortured with the desire to see her beloved son killed rather than
 openly disgraced. Fernande, as she bent over her, could feel that her
 arms and shoulders, her hands and her hair were soaked through. With
@@ -11775,7 +11748,7 @@ indignantly.
 A strident laugh broke from Denise de Mortain's throat.
 
 "Would you prefer it if I thought that you had stolen out of the
-château to-night--and alone--in order to meet a swain behind the nearest
+château to-night--and alone--in order to meet a swain behind the nearest
 hedge?"
 
 "Oh!"
@@ -11790,7 +11763,7 @@ two nearer to Fernande, and the words--hot, passionate, fierce--came
 tumbling through her lips. "For two days he was tortured with thoughts
 of your treachery. I tell you he seemed nearly mad. To-night he could
 hold out no longer. He deserted his post--he, who is the soul of honour!
-He came here, just in time to see you steal out of the château like a
+He came here, just in time to see you steal out of the château like a
 flirty wench. An hour and a half ago the alarm bell from the factories
 clanged through the night. Laurent was here then, pouring out his heart
 in bitterness and in misery. But the sound recalled him to his duty,
@@ -11872,7 +11845,7 @@ since you are prepared to swear it."
 "Do you still doubt me, _ma tante_?"
 
 "No. But one thing, my girl, is certain--and that is if Laurent had not
-seen you stealing out of the château--if he had spoken for five minutes
+seen you stealing out of the château--if he had spoken for five minutes
 with you--he would have gone straight back to his post, and would not
 now be under the suspicion of having deserted his men in the hour of
 danger."
@@ -11889,7 +11862,7 @@ Denise de Mortain for her callousness or Laurent for his vehement
 temper. All that she could do to wrench herself away from its influence
 she had done; and in the process she had plucked out her heart-strings
 and martyrized her very soul. In the lonely walk from the factories to
-the château she had fought against the veriest thought of rebellion; she
+the château she had fought against the veriest thought of rebellion; she
 had sacrificed her whole life, her every hope of happiness on the altar
 of unimpassioned loyalty. Whenever she met Laurent again she could look
 him fearlessly in the eyes, she could grasp his hand in all honour and
@@ -12048,7 +12021,7 @@ Fernande went, and a minute or two later she returned followed by two
 men, one of whom was Mathurin, chief overseer of the de Maurel smelting
 works. Both men looked as if they had ridden hard. Mathurin's coat and
 hat were covered with dust; the other--a true type of the Chouans, of
-those who had fought under de Frotté and Cadoudal--was dressed in a
+those who had fought under de Frotté and Cadoudal--was dressed in a
 tattered blouse and ragged linen breeches; the soles of his boots had
 parted from their uppers; he was unkempt and unwashed. Fernande closed
 the door behind them, then she slipped round behind Madame to the corner
@@ -12069,7 +12042,7 @@ Mathurin.
 
 "Who has sent you?" she queried peremptorily.
 
-"M. le Maréchal Comte de Maurel," replied Mathurin, after he had touched
+"M. le Maréchal Comte de Maurel," replied Mathurin, after he had touched
 his forelock with every mark of respect.
 
 "And who are you?" asked Madame again.
@@ -12078,7 +12051,7 @@ his forelock with every mark of respect.
 
 "Why did M. de Maurel send you?"
 
-"M. le Maréchal thought Madame la Marquise and Mademoiselle de Courson
+"M. le Maréchal thought Madame la Marquise and Mademoiselle de Courson
 would be anxious to know what had happened last night."
 
 "Well," she said coldly, "what did happen?"
@@ -12090,7 +12063,7 @@ Marquise."
 
 "The mutineers, with Paul Leroux at their head, have been arrested by
 our watchmen. Leroux confessed that he had been bribed to murder M. le
-Maréchal, and to deliver the armament works into the hands of a band of
+Maréchal, and to deliver the armament works into the hands of a band of
 Royalists under M. de Puisaye."
 
 "Did M. de Maurel order you to say this?"
@@ -12108,7 +12081,7 @@ was ready to send us help."
 
 "Well? And then?"
 
-"M. le Maréchal interrogated Leroux in the presence of the officer.
+"M. le Maréchal interrogated Leroux in the presence of the officer.
 Leroux made a clean breast of all he knew. M. de Maurel then sent his
 own couriers from the works to Domfront, to Tinchebrai, and to Mortain,
 warning the different commandants against possible attacks from roaming
@@ -12120,8 +12093,8 @@ and in touch with one another."
 "This man here, Madame la Marquise," said Mathurin, indicating his
 companion, "will be able to tell you better than I can what happened in
 the ranks of the Chouans. He fell a prisoner in our hands early in the
-night. M. le Maréchal had ridden over to Mortain, and I was with him
-when this man was brought in a prisoner. M. le Maréchal questioned him,
+night. M. le Maréchal had ridden over to Mortain, and I was with him
+when this man was brought in a prisoner. M. le Maréchal questioned him,
 and then gave him over into my charge. 'Take the fellow over to La
 Frontenay, Mathurin,' he said to me. 'Madame la Marquise de Mortain and
 Mademoiselle de Courson will want to hear what he has to say.' So we
@@ -12133,14 +12106,14 @@ desire to speak with him alone."
 Mathurin, at the peremptory command, appeared to hesitate. "Madame la
 Marquise ..." he stammered.
 
-"_Ah çà_," she retorted haughtily, "has M. de Maurel sent you here
+"_Ah çà_," she retorted haughtily, "has M. de Maurel sent you here
 perchance as my jailer?"
 
 Mathurin, thus challenged, did not know what to say. Madame la Marquise
 had a way with her which imposed her will on every one around her. The
 worthy overseer was certainly not vested with powers to gainsay her
 wishes. He was a shrewd man, loyal to the depth of his simple heart and
-ready to be hacked to pieces for M. le Maréchal; he would have defied an
+ready to be hacked to pieces for M. le Maréchal; he would have defied an
 army of haughty ladies if he thought any harm could come from a private
 interview with this ill-conditioned old rascal; but in this case
 prudence and conciliation was perhaps the wisest course. And somehow he
@@ -12205,7 +12178,7 @@ dare to speak it--not before this man ... in case....
 
 "And M. de Courson?" she asked.
 
-"M. de Courson must be with M. de Puisaye, I think. I believe M. d'Aché
+"M. de Courson must be with M. de Puisaye, I think. I believe M. d'Aché
 is with him and M. Prigent."
 
 Then at last anxiety could hold out no longer. Madame had made heroic
@@ -12277,7 +12250,7 @@ He came back into the room, reluctantly this time. He was a good
 fellow, with wife and children of his own. Temperamentally and
 traditionally he hated these Royalists--packs of rebels and intriguers,
 he called them--and he knew this haughty lady had plotted against her
-own son--M. le Maréchal--whom he adored; but there was something which
+own son--M. le Maréchal--whom he adored; but there was something which
 he had yet to tell her, and in his own rough way he shrank from the
 task, feeling nothing but pity for her, because of what she was doomed
 to suffer.
@@ -12296,7 +12269,7 @@ for a moment the rugged lines of his face.
 
 "Well, Madame la Marquise," he began, "you must know that after the
 fight with M. de Puisaye's rearguard we had several prisoners in our
-hands. M. le Maréchal took the trouble to interrogate each one
+hands. M. le Maréchal took the trouble to interrogate each one
 separately. When he had finished, he ordered me to accompany him, and
 together we went to the spot where the affray had taken place. It was on
 the edge of the wood. It was then about three o'clock in the morning and
@@ -12309,28 +12282,28 @@ eyes. They expressed a query, and he nodded silently in reply. A low
 moan of pain broke from Madame's lips; she pressed her handkerchief to
 her lips to smother a louder cry.
 
-"M. le Maréchal found M. le Marquis de Mortain lying amongst the dead,"
+"M. le Maréchal found M. le Marquis de Mortain lying amongst the dead,"
 said Mathurin slowly after a while. "He told me to tell Madame la
 Marquise that M. Laurent must have died like a hero; he had a broken
 sword in his hand and three bullet wounds in his chest.... M. le
-Maréchal lifted him up in his arms and carried him to his horse. I
-helped to lift the body into the saddle, and M. le Maréchal ordered me
+Maréchal lifted him up in his arms and carried him to his horse. I
+helped to lift the body into the saddle, and M. le Maréchal ordered me
 to ride back to Mortain as fast as I could and to send out half a dozen
 men to him at once. 'When you have done that, Mathurin,' he said to me,
 'go to La Frontenay as quickly as may be, take the prisoner Jean
 Blanchet with you, and see Madame la Marquise de Mortain and
 Mademoiselle de Courson. Tell them that I have conveyed M. le Marquis to
-the Château of Courson, and that there I will await their pleasure.' And
+the Château of Courson, and that there I will await their pleasure.' And
 that is all, Madame la Marquise," concluded Mathurin clumsily, for,
 indeed, he felt overawed by the look of hopeless grief which had spread
-over Madame's marble-like face. "M. le Maréchal ordered the carriole to
+over Madame's marble-like face. "M. le Maréchal ordered the carriole to
 be sent for Madame la Marquise. It should be here by now."
 
 When he had finished speaking she gave him a stately nod.
 
 "I thank you, good Mathurin," she said slowly. "I pray you go back to
 your master now and tell him that Mademoiselle Fernande and I will be at
-the Château of Courson within the hour."
+the Château of Courson within the hour."
 
 She appeared like a statue, pale and unbending. One slender hand rested
 on the back of the chair to steady herself; the other closed tightly
@@ -12445,7 +12418,7 @@ the apple-orchard. It was ajar, and she pushed it open and wandered out
 on the wet grass and under the apple-trees, already weighted down by
 the wealth of young fruit.
 
-From the village distant a kilomètre or so from the park gates there
+From the village distant a kilomètre or so from the park gates there
 came the sound of a clock striking seven. The air was redolent with the
 scent and savour of an early summer's morning. Fernande breathed it in
 with delight. The wet leaves of the apple-trees sent down an occasional
@@ -12545,365 +12518,4 @@ _Printed at The Chapel River Press, Kingston, Surrey._
 
 End of Project Gutenberg's A Sheaf of Bluebells, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
 
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SHEAF OF BLUEBELLS ***
-
-***** This file should be named 57774-8.txt or 57774-8.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-        http://www.gutenberg.org/5/7/7/7/57774/
-
-Produced by ellinora, Martin Pettit and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
-file was produced from images generously made available
-by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
-
-
-Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
-be renamed.
-
-Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
-so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
-States without permission and without paying copyright
-royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
-of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
-concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
-and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
-specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
-eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
-for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
-performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
-away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
-not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
-trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
-PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
-and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
-the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
-destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
-possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
-Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
-by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
-person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
-1.E.8.
-
-1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
-things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
-agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
-States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
-United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
-claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
-displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
-all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
-that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
-free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
-works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
-Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
-comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
-same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
-you share it without charge with others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
-in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
-check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
-agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
-distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
-other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
-representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
-country outside the United States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
-immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
-prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
-on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
-phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
-  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
-  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
-  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
-  United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
-  are located before using this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
-derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
-contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
-copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
-the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
-redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
-either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
-obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
-additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
-will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
-posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
-beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
-electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
-any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
-to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
-other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
-Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
-access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
-  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
-  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
-  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
-  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
-  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
-  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
-  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
-  Literary Archive Foundation."
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
-  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
-  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
-  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
-  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
-  works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-  receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
-are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
-from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
-Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
-or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
-other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
-cannot be read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
-of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
-fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
-LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
-PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
-TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
-LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
-INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
-DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
-defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
-receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
-written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
-received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
-with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
-with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
-lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
-or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
-opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
-the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
-without further opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
-damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
-violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
-agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
-limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
-unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
-remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
-trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
-accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
-production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
-including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
-the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
-or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
-additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
-Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
-computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
-exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
-from people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
-remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
-and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
-generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
-Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
-www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
-state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
-Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
-number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
-U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
-
-The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
-volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
-locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
-Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
-date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
-official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
-    Chief Executive and Director
-    gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
-spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
-increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
-freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
-array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
-($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
-status with the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
-state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
-any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
-outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
-ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
-donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
-freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
-distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
-volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
-the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
-edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
-facility: www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
-including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
-subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57774 ***
diff --git a/57774-h/57774-h.htm b/57774-h/57774-h.htm
index 4fb4a15..cbbb2f0 100644
--- a/57774-h/57774-h.htm
+++ b/57774-h/57774-h.htm
@@ -71,46 +71,7 @@
 <body>
 
 
-<pre>
-
-Project Gutenberg's A Sheaf of Bluebells, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll
-have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
-this ebook.
-
-
-
-Title: A Sheaf of Bluebells
-
-Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
-
-Release Date: August 26, 2018 [EBook #57774]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SHEAF OF BLUEBELLS ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by ellinora, Martin Pettit and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
-file was produced from images generously made available
-by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
+<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57774 ***</div>
 
 
 <div class = "mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber's Note:<br /><br />
@@ -12605,379 +12566,7 @@ of the man she loved calling to her:</p>
 
 
 
-<pre>
-
-
-
-
-
-End of Project Gutenberg's A Sheaf of Bluebells, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
-
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SHEAF OF BLUEBELLS ***
-
-***** This file should be named 57774-h.htm or 57774-h.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-        http://www.gutenberg.org/5/7/7/7/57774/
-
-Produced by ellinora, Martin Pettit and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
-file was produced from images generously made available
-by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
-
-
-Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
-be renamed.
-
-Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
-so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
-States without permission and without paying copyright
-royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
-of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
-concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
-and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
-specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
-eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
-for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
-performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
-away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
-not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
-trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
-PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
-and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
-the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
-destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
-possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
-Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
-by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
-person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
-1.E.8.
-
-1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
-things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
-agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
-States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
-United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
-claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
-displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
-all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
-that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
-free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
-works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
-Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
-comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
-same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
-you share it without charge with others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
-in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
-check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
-agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
-distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
-other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
-representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
-country outside the United States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
-immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
-prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
-on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
-phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
-  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
-  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
-  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
-  United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
-  are located before using this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
-derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
-contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
-copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
-the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
-redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
-either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
-obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
-additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
-will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
-posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
-beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
-electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
-any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
-to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
-other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
-Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
-access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
-  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
-  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
-  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
-  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
-  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
-  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
-  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
-  Literary Archive Foundation."
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
-  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
-  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
-  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
-  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
-  works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-  receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
-are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
-from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
-Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
-or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
-other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
-cannot be read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
-of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
-fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
-LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
-PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
-TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
-LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
-INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
-DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
-defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
-receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
-written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
-received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
-with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
-with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
-lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
-or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
-opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
-the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
-without further opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
-damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
-violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
-agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
-limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
-unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
-remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
-trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
-accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
-production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
-including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
-the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
-or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
-additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
-Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
-computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
-exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
-from people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
-remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
-and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
-generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
-Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
-www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
-state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
-Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
-number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
-U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
-
-The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
-volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
-locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
-Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
-date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
-official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
-    Chief Executive and Director
-    gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
-spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
-increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
-freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
-array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
-($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
-status with the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
-state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
-any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
-outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
-ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
-donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
-freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
-distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
-volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
-the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
-edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
-facility: www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
-including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
-subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-
-
-
-</pre>
+<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57774 ***</div>
 
 </body>
 </html>