Part 50 (1/2)

”If all turns out well,” retorted Chauvelin with a show of contempt, ”and if you rite the exact letter which I shall dictate, we uarantee”

”The quality of your mercy, sir, passes belief”

”Then I pray you write Which of your folloill have the honour of the communication?”

”My brother-in-law, Armand St Just; he is still in Paris, I believe He can let the others know”

ChauvelinWould Sir Percy Blakeney be ready--if his own safety demanded it--to sacrifice the man who had betrayed him? In the momentous ”either--or” that was to be put to him, by-and-by, would he choose his own life and leave Armand St Just to perish? It was not for Chauvelin--or any e of what Blakeney would do under such circumstances, and had it been a question of St Just alone, mayhap Chauvelin would have hesitated still e was only destined to be a ue of the Scarlet Pirace of its chief There was the wife--Marguerite Blakeney--sister of St Just, joint and far e, whose very close affection for her brother ht prove an additional trump card in that handful which Chauvelin already held

Blakeney paid no heed seely to the other's hesitation He did not even look up at him, but quietly drew pen and paper towards him, and made ready to write

”What do you wish uard answer your purpose, citizen Chauvelin?”

queried Heron roughly

Obviously the same doubt had crossed his mind Chauvelin quickly re-assured him

”Better than any one else,” he said firmly ”Will you write atto do so, in your letter as you wish, then; now continue”

And he began to dictate sloatching every word as it left Blakeney's pen

”'I cannot stand er Citizen Heron, and also M Chauvelin--' Yes, Sir Percy, Chauvelin, not Chaht-- 'have made this prison a perfect hell for

”You wrong yourself, my dear M Chambertin!” he said; ”I have really been most comfortable”

”I wish to place the ent a manner as I can,” retorted Chauvelin dryly

”I thank you, sir Pray proceed”

” a perfect hell for me,'” resumed the other ”Have you that?

'and I have been forced to give way To-uide citizen Heron to the place where he can find the Dauphin But the authorities demand that one of ue of the Scarlet Pimpernel, shall accompany me on this expedition I therefore ask you'--or 'desire you'

or 'beg you'--whichever you prefer, Sir Percy”

”'Ask you' will do quite nicely This is really very interesting, you know”

” 'to be prepared to join the expedition We start at dawn, and you would be required to be at the ate of the house of Justice at six o'clock precisely I have an assurance from the authorities that your life should be in-violate, but if you refuse to accouillotine will await uillotine will await me on the morrow' That sounds quite cheerful, does it not, M Chahtest surprise at the wording of the letter whilst he wrote at the other's dictation ”Do you know, I quite enjoyed writing this letter; it so rene”