As most of the Catholics round here have obeyed the king's summons, and are either with the royal army in the west, or with the two dukes at Metz, there seems no chance of any attack being made upon Landres." "That will do excellently, Pierre.

No doubt the lady will be happy to receive Mademoiselle de Valecourt, whose father is a well-known nobleman and, at present, in the same army as the lady's husband.
At any rate, we will try that to begin with." They started without delay and, riding briskly, reached Landres in four hours; having had a good deal of difficulty in finding the way.

As soon as they issued from the forests into a cleared space, half a mile across, in the centre of which stood the fortalice, a horn was heard to sound, and the drawbridge was at once raised.
Philip saw, with satisfaction, that Pierre had not been misinformed.

The castle was an old one and had not been modernized and, with its solid-looking walls and flanking towers, was capable of standing a siege.
Halting the others, when halfway across to the tower, he rode on alone.

As he approached, a lady appeared on the battlements over the gate; while the parapet was occupied with armed men, with spears and crossbows.