Blanche had been alarmed by the appearance of the
man, who had opened the gate, and she now entreated her father to quit
the place; but the Count had observed the hunter's spear, which he
carried; and the words from the tower encouraged him to await the event.
The gate was soon opened, and several men in hunters' habits, who had
heard above what had passed below, appeared, and, having listened some
time to the Count, told him he was welcome to rest there for the night.
They then pressed him, with much courtesy, to enter, and to partake of
such fare as they were about to sit down to. The Count, who had
observed them attentively while they spoke, was cautious, and somewhat
suspicious; but he was also weary, fearful of the approaching storm, and
of encountering alpine heights in the obscurity of night; being likewise
somewhat confident in the strength and number of his attendants, he,
after some further consideration, determined to accept the invitation.
With this resolution he called his servants, who, advancing round
the tower, behind which some of them had silently listened to this
conference, followed their Lord, the Lady Blanche, and St. Foix into the
fortress. The strangers led them on to a large and rude hall, partially
seen by a fire that blazed at its extremity, round which four men, in
the hunter's dress, were seated, and on the hearth were several dogs
stretched in sleep. In the middle of the hall stood a large table,
and over the fire some part of an animal was boiling. As the Count
approached, the men arose, and the dogs, half raising themselves, looked
fiercely at the strangers, but, on hearing their masters' voices, kept
their postures on the hearth.
Blanche looked round this gloomy and spacious hall; then at the men, and
to her father, who, smiling cheerfully at her, addressed himself to the
hunters. 'This is an hospitable hearth,' said he, 'the blaze of a fire
is reviving after having wandered so long in these dreary wilds. Your
dogs are tired; what success have you had?' 'Such as we usually have,'
replied one of the men, who had been seated in the hall, 'we kill our
game with tolerable certainty.' 'These are fellow hunters,' said one of
the men who had brought the Count hither, 'that have lost their way,
and I have told them there is room enough in the fort for us all.' 'Very
true, very true,' replied his companion, 'What luck have you had in the
chace, brothers? We have killed two izards, and that, you will say,
is pretty well.'