At the beginning of the Vandemeier (end of September according to the usual calendar), a crowd of recruits marched from Fougere to Mayenne. Four years ago, these places were engulfed in royalist rebellion, and Fougeres has always been considered one of its most dangerous centers. That is why the half-brigade commander Hulot decided as soon as possible to make a set announced by the Directory, but when the Bretons obediently appeared at the assembly point, he suspected something was amiss. Most of the recruits are too much like Shuans - royalist peasants waging a guerrilla war in the name of God and the king. These fierce people in goat skins look at the officers from below, and their intentions are clear - to seize weapons. Hulot's attention is attracted by a stocky, overgrown savage with a whip in his hand: he replies to a request to name himself that his name is Sneak-on-Earth. This is a Shuana nickname, and Hulot grows stronger in her suspicions: the royalists are up to something - apparently, this is due to the fact that they had a young and brave leader, who had been nicknamed "Well done."
The commander’s misgivings come true: as soon as the detachment rises to Mount Pelerin, Sneak-on-Earth whistles deafeningly, and then a volley is heard. Despite the unexpected attack, the “blue” fiercely fought back, and a squad from Fougere was already hurrying to their rescue. Among the royalists, Hulot noticed a young man - a clear aristocrat in posture and manner of holding. Obviously, this was “Well done” - if it weren’t for it, the peasants would hardly have decided to engage in open battle. In addition, at the height of the battle, everyone clearly heard a woman's voice, inciting the Shuans to fight bolder. When the republican detachment leaves, the Bretons attack the postcoach and rob it - to the great displeasure of the young leader. The Marquis de Montoran landed in France recently and still cannot get used to the habits of the Shuans, which annoys the warlike lady who took part in the battle. The peasants do not care about these disputes: having seized the rich d’Orgemon, who was traveling in a stagecoach, Sneak-on-Earth and Hvatai-Karavay demand a ransom of three hundred ecu - if in two weeks there is no money, the miser will regret it bitterly. And the Marquis is handed a letter from Paris: friends inform him that the Minister of Police Foucher intends to send a beautiful spy to him.
After two and a half months, Hulot receives a dispatch from his general - two companies must accompany the carriage, in which very important people travel. The old warrior is furious: to guard two women and a Parisian whip - what a shame! But the order is the order: Marie de Verneuil with the maid Francine and the dapper gentleman named Koranten safely get to Alencon. At the hotel they meet the naval officer and his too youthful mother - both carefully look at Marie, trying to figure out who she is and why she is escorted. The beauty of the stranger makes a strong impression on the sailor. In its turn. Marie feels an irresistible attraction to the young man and does not allow him to be arrested, although Hulot recognizes him as the leader of the Shuans. Meanwhile, a sharp-sighted francine saw a Hidden Earth hiding in the courtyard - this is Pierre Leroy, her name. Madame du Ga, overwhelmed by jealousy, ordered him to kill Marie. Francine threatens Pierre with eternal separation if even the hair falls from the head of her mistress.
Accompanied by sixty Republican soldiers, Madame du Ga, her “son” and Marie set off for Fougere. On the way, young people fall in love with each other more and more. Du Ga swears that he is only a friend of Montoran - and Marie is very happy about this, not wanting, however, to go into the explanations. The young man offers a break in the castle of Vivetier and gives the nobleman an honest word that the “blue” will be there in complete safety. But when Count de Beauvan and mother du Ga (the lady in love with Montorana from the first part of the novel) publicly declare Marie a dirty girl hired by Foucher to search for the leader of the Shuans, “Well done” is enormously furious: Republican soldiers are treacherously killed, and Marie is given to fun for the peasants - from the terrible fate she is saved by Stealing on Earth, who is afraid to lose Francine. Returning to the wineglass, Marie thinks only of revenge and is even ready to resort to the help of the hated Koranten - Foucher's right hand. But before her eyes still stand the fiery gaze and the beautiful face of the Marquis de Montoran.
The city of Fougeres rises on a steep cliff. Five days after the massacre in Vivetere, Marie, walking at sunset at the boulevard, notices “Molodets” in the valley and decides to track him down. On the outskirts of the city gathered a lot of shuans - they are preparing for the assault. Marie swiftly falls down, and from her they shy away in horror, mistaking for a ghost. Realizing, finally, the danger, the girl takes refuge in the first house she comes across and becomes a witness. terrible scene: Grab-Karavay and Sneak-on-Earth torture d’0-zhemona, who never paid the ransom. When Marie appears, the shuans scatter, and the old man leads her out through a secret passage and tells her the password so that she can take refuge in the Naley-Zhban hut, ready to serve both “white” and “blue”. Meanwhile, the Republicans, having repulsed the attack, go on the offensive, and Count de Beauvann runs to hide in Nalei-Jban. Capturing him with the help of one of the soldiers, Marie proves to him that she is the daughter of the Duke de Verney. The afflicted aristocrat repents of having insulted her in Vivetier, and Marie demands that she be whitewashed in front of all the royalists. Then the count invites the girl to a ball in his estate of Saint-James, where her appearance makes a splash: everyone is struck by both her beauty and her noble origin. Montoran begs her beloved to forgive him, and Marie confesses everything in a fit of remorse: she was imposed a vile role, but she renounces the past - of course, the Marquis can no longer marry her, but she will not give him into the hands of the executioners. Shocked "Well done" does not hold her, and she returns to Deep Wine in deep sorrow.
The next day, Nalya-Zhban came to her - at two o’clock the Marquis would be waiting for her in the hut. Unfortunately, the Koranten who entered at this moment recognizes the shuana. When the perky Marie goes on a date, the “blue” follow her - to deceive the peasants, they dress up as Bretons, and Nalya-Zhbana’s wife, mistaking them for hers, involuntarily gives out “Well done”. And lovers can not look at each other: everything is behind - and mutual suspicions, and resentment. Montoran announces to Marie that tomorrow the priest will marry them in her wine glass house, and then they will leave these places defiled by a merciless war. At this moment, the soldiers creep up to the house, but the marquis somehow miraculously breaks through their ranks. The frustrated Koranten understands that now Marie can’t do without help: however, this suits an adroit spy - he needs to dump a proud girl in the mud in order to more accurately take possession of her. Marie does not know the handwriting of the Marquis, and Corantin scribbles a fake message in which Montoran assures Madame du Ga that he won the bet - the corrupt girl is ready to surrender to him. Marie bring this letter, allegedly intercepted from the Shuans, and the light fades before her eyes. She makes the final decision - the marquis who betrayed her must die.
Hulot and Koranten carefully prepare an ambush. Their son becomes Nalai-Zhbana's son: Sneak-on-Earth and Khvatai-Karavay chopped off the head of his father, accused of betrayal, and his mother, burning with a thirst for revenge, herself led the boy to the "blue" with the order to kill the shuans. Unsuspecting Montoran comes to Marie, accompanied by three people - upon seeing the priest and witnesses, the girl falls to her knees with a cry of "sorry!" The Holy Father performs a wedding ceremony: Marie is unusually pale, but at such a solemn moment this does not surprise anyone. For spouses, the first wedding night comes, and only Marie knows that they only have six hours to live. At dawn, they suddenly hear the scream of an owl, and hope awakens in Marie's heart - he managed to get to the house Sneak-on-Earth. Montoran wears a Shuang dress, and Marie puts on his suit in a selfless impulse. A volley is heard, then the shooting comes from somewhere from afar. The soldiers inform Hulot that the "Well done" put a bullet in the head. Having removed his hat from the imaginary marquis, the commander sees the long black braids of Marie de Verney. Soon they brought Montoran with broken legs - he was put next to his wife on a camping bed. The dying marquis asks Hulot to inform his younger brother about his death - let him serve the king, but never raise arms against France. And the old soldier tells Koranten to get away and never again come across him on the road. For a spy, this threat absolutely does not mean anything - Hulot is one of those decent people who will never make a career.
