Part 34 (2/2)

”It is,” he replied curtly, ”if you desire to see and speak with your husband--to be of use to him before it is too late”

”Then, I pray you, speak, citizen, and I will listen”

She sank into a chair, not heeding whether the light of the laard cheeks, or her tear-dimmed eyes showed plainly the sorrow and despair that had traced the to hide from this man, the cause of all the tortures which she endured She knew that neither courage nor sorroould move him, and that hatred for Percy--personal deadly hatred for thecrushed the last spark of huan after a slight pause and in his smooth, even voice, ”it would interest you to hear how I succeeded in procuring for myself this pleasure of an intervieith you?”

”Your spies did their usual work, I suppose,” she said coldly

”Exactly We have been on your track for three days, and yesterday evening an unguarded ave us the final clue to your whereabouts”

”Of Sir Andrew Ffoulkes?” she asked, greatly puzzled

”He was in an eating-house, cleverly disguised, I own, trying to glean information, no doubt as to the probable fate of Sir Percy Blakeney

As chance would have it, my friend Heron, of the Co with reprehensible openness--er--certain--what shall I say?--certain measures which, at my advice, the Committee of Public Safety have been forced to adopt with a view to--”

”A truce on your sued speeches, citizen Chauvelin,” she interposed firht of this--so I pray you speak plainly and to the point, if you can”

He boith marked irony

”As you please,” he said ”Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, hearing certain matters of which I will tell you anon, made a movement which betrayed him to one of our spies At a word fro farrier who had shown such interest in the conversation of the Chief Agent Sir Andrew, I ination at what he had heard, was perhaps not quite so cautious as he usually is Anyway, the man on his track followed him to this door

It was quite sio that ould see the beautiful Lady Blakeney in Paris before long When I knehere Sir Andrew Ffoulkes lodged, I had no difficulty in guessing that Lady Blakeney would not be far off”

”And as there in citizen Heron's conversation last night,” she asked quietly, ”that so aroused Sir Andrew's indignation?”

”He has not told you?” ”Oh! it is very simple Let me tell you, Lady Blakeney, exactly how matters stand Sir Percy Blakeney--before lucky chance at last delivered hiht fit, as no doubt you know, to meddle with our most important prisoner of State”

”A child I know it, sir--the son of ato death”

”That is as it may be, Lady Blakeney,” rejoined Chauvelin calmly; ”but it was none of Sir Percy Blakeney's business This, however, he chose to disregard He succeeded in carrying little Capet from the Temple, and two days later we had hih some infamous and treacherous trick, sir,” she retorted

Chauvelin made no immediate reply; his pale, inscrutable eyes were fixed upon her face, and the sly ain, is as it may be,” he said suavely; ”but anyhow for the erie, guarded day and night, uarded”

”And he laughs at your bolts and bars, sir,” she rejoined proudly

”Reh at your discomfiture, then, must resound in your ear even to-day”

”Yes; but for the o even that pleasure, if Sir Percy will but er towards his own freedom”