Part 25 (2/2)

”How did Capet like parting froh

”H'h hoell off he was under our care”

”Have the other commissaries come yet?”

”No But they will be here directly Citizen Cochefer is upstairs ood-bye, Papa Simon,” concluded Chauvelin jovially ”Citizeness, your servant!”

He boith unconcealed irony to the cobbler's wife, and nodded to Simon, who expressed by a volley of ents of the Committee of General Security

”Six hly, ”and no thanks or pension I would as soon serve a ci-devant aristo as your accursed Committee”

The man Dupont had returned Stolidly, after the fashi+on of his kind, he cooods He seeh creature, and Simon and his wife had to do most of the work the forh of indifference, and turned on his heel

CHAPTER XIX IT IS ABOUT THE DAUPHIN

Heron was not at his lodgings when, at last, after vigorous pulls at the bell, a great deal of waiting and , Chauvelin, closely followed by Arent's office

The soldier who acted as servant said that citizen Heron had gone out to sup, but would surely be hoht o'clock Arue that he sank on a chair like a log, and reht of time

Anon Heron calance on Arh atte, but the new coe of Capet The Sione, and I want to assure ht in the Tower Cochefer has been in charge, but I like to cast an eye over the brat every daythe door behind histones of the corridor, and gradually dying away in the distance Armand had paid no heed either to his entrance or to his exit He was only conscious of an intense weariness, and would at this ladly have laid his head on the scaffold if on it he could find rest

A white-faced clock on the wall ticked off the seconds one by one From the street below came the muffled sounds of wheeled traffic on the softust of wind rattled the small s in their dilapidated fraainst the panes

The heat from the stove had made Armand drowsy; his head fell forward on his chest Chauvelin, with his hands held behind his back, paced ceaselessly up and down the narrow room

Suddenly Arstones outside, a hoarse shout, a banging of heavy doors, and the next moment Heron stood once more on the threshold of the rooazed on hied He looked ten years older, with lank, dishevelled hair hanging matted over a moist forehead, the cheeks ashen-white, the full lips bloodless and hanging, flabby and parted, displaying both rows of yellow teeth that shook against each other The whole figure looked bowed, as if shrunk within itself

Chauvelin had paused in his restless walk He gazed on his colleague, a frown of puzzlement on his pale, set face

”Capet!” he exclaimed, as soon as he had taken in every detail of Heron's altered appearance, and seen the look of wild terror that literally distorted his face

Heron could not speak; his teeth were chattering in his ue seemed paralysed Chauvelin went up to hiue, but at thisspirit He placed a firone--is that it?” he queried peremptorily

The look of terror increased in Heron's eyes, giving its mute reply

”How? When?”

But for the moment the man was speechless An alrip With an impatient oath Chauvelin turned away fro to Armand