Volume I Part 7 (2/2)
”Have you got wings hich to pursue Benedetto?”
”No, Monsieur Beauchae and arrived at the prison only a quarter of an hour after Benedetto”
”I call that pronize her perfectly, but iine she is the wife of a banker who left for parts unknown about three ly at one another, while Gratillet continued:
”The lady in question left the prison at ten o'clock and got into her carriage”
”A carriage?”
”No, a hackney coach she had hired”
”And you followed her again?”
”This tiot upon the box with the driver and arrived at her destination as soon as the occupant herself
The carriage drove to No 8 Rue Contrescarpe I looked closely at the house and read a sign near the door with the following card: 'Monsieur Magloire, taxider the bell, but to no purpose Beco as opened and a gruff voice asked:
”'Well, what do you want?'
”'I have a letter to deliver,' said the lady softly
”'From whom?'
”I could notand took the letter, whereupon the sliding as again closed The lady waited a while longer and then rode off”
”Did you follow her?”
”Oh, no, why should I have done that? I am interested in Benedetto, and the lady is only a side character First of all, Monsieur Beauchamp, do you think the story suitable for your paper?”
”Har”
”Thanks Have you ever seen the departure of the galley-slaves froht”
”It is ThisI was in Bicetre to see Benedetto depart, and I must confess I almost pitied him The handsome Andrea Cavalcanti was undressed and his clothes cut in the usual way”
”Why do they do that?” asked Chateau-Renaud
”To prevent the flight of a convict Whoever sees these cut clothes knows they belong to a galley-slave The other prisoners said nothing while the operation was being performed; Benedetto, however, cried out aloud when the jailer cut his elegant coat, and when the rattle of the chains was heard in another rooritted his teeth and cast such a look around him that I instinctively shuddered”
”Were you present during the chaining of the convicts, Monsieur Gratillet?”
”Certainly; I never do things by halves The prisoners were brought into the courtyard and placed in rows of two each, ere tied to each other by a chain six feet long”