Part 8 (1/2)

Indeed, de Batz had no keys such as these to open the way for hi

Thus the twothe other De Batz walked leisurely, thought-fully, taking stock of everything he saw--the gates, the barriers, the positions of sentinels and warders, of everything in fact that reat enterprise would be hazarded At last--still in the wake of Heron--he found hiate, underneath the archway on which gave the guichet of the concierge

Here, too, there see sentinel outside the guichet, but there were others in a file against the wall

Heron rapped with his keys against the door of the concierge's lodge, then, as it was not immediately opened froe?” he queried peremptorily

Frorunt and a reply:

”Gone to bed, quoi!”

The uided de Batz to Heron's door slowly struggled to his feet He had been squatting soh co a boot in one hand and a blacking brush in the other

”Take this lanthorn, then,” said the chief agent with a snarl directed at the sleeping concierge, ”and co Why are you still here?” he added, as if in after-thought

”The citizen concierge was not satisfied with the way I had done his boots,” muttered the man, with an evil leer as he spat contemptuously on the floor; ”an aristo, quoi? A hell of a place this twenty cells to sweep out every day and boots to clean for every aristo of a concierge or warder who demands it Is that work for a free born patriot, I ask?”

”Well, if you are not satisfied, citoyen Dupont,” retorted Heron dryly, ”you o when you like, you know there are plenty of others ready to do your work”

”Nineteen hours a day, and nineteen sous by way of payment I have had fourteen days of this convict work”

He continued tono further heed to hiroup of soldiers stationed outside

”En avant, corporal!” he said; ”bring four o up to the tower”

The small procession was formed On ahead the lanthorn-bearer, with arched spine and shaking knees, dragging shuffling footsteps along the corridor, then the corporal with two of his soldiers, then Heron closely followed by de Batz, and finally two iven the bunch of keys to thethe lanthorn aloft, opened one gate after another At each gate he waited for the little procession to file through, then he re-locked the gate and passed on

Up two or three flights of winding stairs set in the solid stone, and the final heavy door was reached

De Batz wasof the most precious life in Europe were more complete than he had anticipated

What lavish liberality would be required! what superhue in order to break down all the barriers that had been set up round that young life that flickered inside this grim tower!

Of these three requisites the corpulent, couer possessed only the first in a considerable degree He could be exceedingly liberal with the foreign enuity, he believed that he possessed both, but these qualities had not served hiood stead in the attempts which he had made at different times to rescue the unfortunate otisenuity and pluck the Scarlet Pilish followers could outdo him, but he did wish to make quite sure that they would not interfere with hi the Dauphin

Heron's impatient call roused him from these meditations The little party had come to a halt outside a ent the soldiers stood at attention He then called de Batz and the lanthorn-bearer to him

He took a key from his breeches pocket, and with his own hand unlocked the massive door He curtly ordered the lanthorn-bearer and de Batz to go through, then he himself went in, and finally onceon guard on the landing outside

Now the threein a square antechae cupboard that filled the whole of one wall; the others, reyish paper, which here and there hung away in strips

Heron crossed this ante-chaainst a small door opposite

”Hola!” he shouted, ”Simon, mon vieux, tu es la?”