HE LET go of the wounded hand so that he could hit Lucille, then went very still as he saw she was poised to throw the whole pan of eggs, bacon and fat into his face. "Sit-down, Sergeant, " Lorcet said tiredly, "and leave her alone. You have more apples, Madame?" "In the larder behind you, " Lucille said, then carried the pan to the table where she tipped eggs and bacon onto one of the plates, but paused before giving any to Challon. "You owe me an apology, Sergeant, " she said. He was about to curse her, then saw that the pan was poised over his groin. "I apologise, Madame, " he said grudgingly. Lucille tipped the rest of the food onto his plate. "Bon appetite, " she said sweetly.

"So why are you with an Englishman?" the lawyer asked. "I told you. He came here one day. He stayed." "You let him stay, " Lorcet corrected her. "True."

"An Englishman has no business in France, " Lorcet said. "His business,»

Lucille said, "is mending the mill, rearing lambs, raising cattle and tending the orchards." "There are Frenchmen who could do that, " Lorcet said, "and who should do that. There's no work, Madame. These men" he indicated the two dragoons who were eating as though they had not seen food in a month, "fought for France. They bled, they burned, they starved, they thirsted, and came home to what? To a fat king on a fat throne and to rich folk in carriages, while they have nothing. Nothing! " "So you let them steal?" "Your Englishman stole our gold, " Lorcet said. "I come merely to restore the gold to its rightful owners." He twisted and peered at the window. "Is it still snowing?" "Harder than ever, " Lucille said. "Then pray your Englishman does not get stuck in a drift, " Lorcet said. "If I were you, Maitre, " Lucille said, "I would pray that he does get stuck." The lawyer frowned at her with incomprehension, and Lucille smiled. "Because if he is stopped by the snow, " she explained, "he won't come back here.