that he will be able to suggest any method of communication with
the garrison that has not already been tried."

"Thank you, sir."

The general shortly afterwards went out to wait upon the duchess;
in two hours he returned, and as soon as he did so Hector entered
his room.

"What is it?" Turenne asked.

"I have been thinking about what you said about the garrison of
Turin. I have been talking it over with Paolo, and have come to
offer to do my best to deliver a letter from you to the garrison
if you will do me the great honour to entrust the mission to me.
We both think that two boys would be much more likely to succeed
than men. No one would regard them with suspicion; and they could
creep and crawl more easily. I do not say that we should succeed,
but I think that we should have some chance of doing so. At any
rate I am willing to try."

"It would be a very dangerous expedition," Turenne said gravely.

"Not more dangerous than going into a battle, viscount. Not a
quarter as dangerous as storming a breach."

Turenne smiled. "The idea has passed through my mind," he said,
"but I should not have proposed it had you not first spoken. It
is the sort of mission in which I thought you could be made useful,
but it is a rough adventure to begin with, and you must not minimize