Source: http://www.archive.org/details/rebellioninceve01tiecgoog
The next morning Edmond felt himself considerably better.Cavalier continually flitted before his eyes, and it appeared to him as if armslifted him from his couch, in order to follow his friends. When Eustace hadfallen asleep towards noon, he arose quietly, took his rifle and with lightfootsteps hastily descended the mountain path. He felt light and well, it seemedas if he had never yet walked so rapidly and so indefatigably. He avoided thehigh road, and again a sort of instinctive knowledge conducted him through theshortest and safest ways.
When the sun went down and the shadows became darker, imagesarose in his imagination more clear and defined with the encreasing obscurity.When night came on, he also distinguished the other forms in the group, hisfather, Franz, the paternal home and the little slumbering Eveline appeared tohim, dark figures were lurking about, threatening destruction.
An hour before midnight, he was standing on the top of amountain, beneath him lay a dark valley, a large house, lights gleamed from onlya few of the windows. What was his surprise on recovering his recollection. Itwas his home, and he arrived at it by a road that he had never before trodden.Here he had lately waved a last farewell to his father. He descended. He heardwhisperings in the vineyard, he perceived figures moving along creeping.Familiar as he was with the place, he easily gained the back of a rocky wall ofa grotto in which he heard voices speaking. "It must soon take place," said ahoarse voice, "and truly as I have arranged, it would be better from the garden,let us all assemble in the vaulted passage, from thence we shall with greaterfacility reach the lower window. Two or three others might in the mean whileascend the ladder and enter by the window there above. The old man, the childand the domestics must be put to death. But no shooting, I tell you, for thereare royal troops quite close, who would most certainly forbid us to plunder, onthat account also you must not set fire to the house."
Edmond stole down, behind the barn he found Cavalier and histroop, who were amazed at seeing him so suddenly and rejoiced at the news hebrought. He conducted them by a different way into the garden and posted them atthe back of the entwined arbour, which, moreover, had no opening at the sides.He took half of the troops with him to guard the entrance. The robbers werealready in the dark beach avenue; when they saw men advancing towards them theyretreated, but Edmond pursued them; a fray ensued in the obscurity, and Cavalierand his party now also appeared and surrounded the assassins. Cavalier quicklycaused a torch to be lighted and after a short, but murderous combat, when thebravest of the robbers had fallen, the rest were compelled to surrender,Cavalier caused them to be bound and carried away by his soldiers.
Edmond accompanied by a few followers went in the stillness ofnight round the house. He found a ladder ready placed by which it was evidentthat some of the robbers intended to enter. He could not resist the inclinationto visit a