Part 36 (2/2)
”I ait for you here And, I pray you, if you have aught to complain of summon me at once”
Then he closed the door behind her The roouerite now found herself was a s larey hair brushed away from a parchment-like forehead rose frouerite entered, and put away soed
”I was to tell you, citizeness,” she said the uerite, ”that the prison authorities have given orders that I should search you before you visit the prisoner”
She repeated this phrase ht to say a lesson by heart She was a stoutish ed woman, with that pasty, flabby skin peculiar to those who live in want of fresh air; but her sh they shi+fted restlessly fro the other woht in the face
”That you should searchto understand
”Yes,” replied the woman ”I was to tell you to take off your clothes, so that I h I have often had to do this before when visitors have been allowed inside the prison, so it is no use your trying to deceiveout if any one has papers, or files or ropes concealed in an underpetticoat Couerite had remained motionless in the middle of the room; ”the quicker you are about it the sooner you will be taken to see the prisoner”
These words had their desired effect The proud Lady Blakeney, inwardly revolting at the outrage, knew that resistance would be worse than useless Chauvelin was the other side of the door A call frouerite was only longing to hasten the moment when she could be with her husband
She took off her kerchief and her gown and calh hands as they wandered with sureness and accuracy to the various pockets and folds that ht conceal prohibited articles The woman did her ith peculiar stolidity; she did not utter a hen she found the tiny steel files and placed them on a table beside her In equal silence she laid the little dagger beside theold pieces These she counted in front of Marguerite and then replaced thereed nor pity She was obviously beyond the reach of bribery--just a machine paid by the prison authorities to do this unpleasant work, and no doubt terrorised into doing it conscientiously
When she had satisfied herself that Marguerite had nothing further concealed about her person, she allowed her to put her dress on once uerite was fully dressed she opened the door for her Chauvelin was standing in the passage waiting patiently At sight of Marguerite, whose pale, set face betrayed nothing of the indignation which she felt, he turned quick, inquiring eyes on the woer and a purse with twenty louis,” said the latter curtly
Chauvelin made no comment He received the information quite placidly, as if it had no special interest for him Then he said quietly:
”This way, citizeness!”
Marguerite followed him, and two minutes later he stood beside a heavy nail-studded door that had a s let into one of the panels, and said simply:
”This is it”
Two soldiers of the National Guard were on sentry at the door, twoup and down outside it, and had halted when citizen Chauvelin gave his name and showed his tricolour scarf of office
Fro in the door a pair of eyes peered at the newcouard-room within
”Citizen Chauvelin of the Committee of Public Safety,” was the pro of ar of a key in a complicated lock The prison was kept locked from within, and very heavy bars had to be es
Two steps led up into the guard-roo of awe and almost of reverence as she would have uard-roohted than the corridor outside The sudden glare of two or three lamps placed about the roo with many shed and unshed tears The air was rank and heavy with the fue barredgave on the corridor i enough to look around her, she saw that the roo, others lay on rugs against the wall, apparently asleep There was one who appeared to be in co on in the room when she entered, and then he said curtly:
”This way, citizeness!”
He turned to an opening in the wall on the left, the stone-lintel of a door, from which the door itself had been reeant now lifted, nodding to Marguerite to go within
Instinctively she looked round for Chauvelin
But he was nowhere to be seen