Part 27 (1/2)

But Heron, overcoue, unintelligible words

”Your word on that, citizen Chauvelin?” asked Armand

”My word on it an you will accept it”

”No, I will not do that Give me an unconditional certificate of safety and I will believe you”

”Of what use were that to you?” asked Chauvelin

”I believe my capture to be of e,” said Armand quietly

”I will use the certificate of safety for myself or one of my friends if you break your word tois not illogical, citizen,” said Chauvelin, whilst a curious smile played round the corners of his thin lips ”You are quite right You are alady who, I hope, will forParis with her talent and her grace”

”Amen to that, citizen,” said Armand fervently

”Well, it will all depend on you, sir! Here,” he added, coolly running over some papers on Heron's desk until he found what he wanted, ”is an absolutely unconditional certificate of safety The Committee of General Security issue very few of these It is worth the cost of a huate of any city can such a certificate be disregarded, nor even can it be detained Allow ood faith”

S, urbane, with a curious look that al in his shrewd, pale eyes, Chauvelin handed theman studied it very carefully before he slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat

”How soon shall I have news of Madee?” he asked finally

”In the course of to-morrow I myself will call on you and redeem that precious document in person You, on the other hand, will hold yourself at my disposition That's understood, is it not?”

”I shall not fail you My lodgings are--”

”Oh! do not trouble,” interposed Chauvelin, with a polite boe can find that out for ourselves”

Heron had taken no part in this colloquy Now that Aro he ue's actions He sat by the table like a log; his mind was obviously a blank to all else save to his own terrors engendered by the events of this night

With bleary, half-veiled eyes he followed Arh the roo of the outside door

Chauvelin had escorted the young man past the first line of sentry, then he took cordial leave of hiate to you

Good-night, citizen A deure disappeared in the gloom Chauvelin watched him for a few moments until even his footsteps had died away in the distance; then he turned back towards Heron's lodgings

”A nous deux,” he htly clenched teeth; ”a nous deux once matical Scarlet Pimpernel”

CHAPTER XXI BACK TO PARIS

It was an exceptionally dark night, and the rain was falling in torrents Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, wrapped in a piece of sacking, had taken shelter right underneath the coal-cart; even then he was getting wet through to the skin

He had worked hard for two days coal-heaving, and the night before he had found a cheap, squalid lodging where at any rate he was protected froht he was expecting Blakeney at the appointed hour and place He had secured a cart of the ordinary ra coal Unfortunately there were no covered ones to be obtained in the neighbourhood, and equally unfortunately the thaw had set in with a blustering wind and diving rain, whichin the open air for hours at a stretch and in complete darkness excessively unpleasant

But for all these discoland, in his nificent Suffolk home, he was a confirmed sybarite, in whose service every description of coh and tattered clothes of a coal-heaver, drenched to the skin, and crouching under the body of a cart that hardly sheltered him from the rain, he was as happy as a schoolboy out for a holiday