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〃'France and Charles' for the soldiers； 'Laurence and Louis' for the
Messieurs d'Hauteserre and Simeuse。 Good God！ to think that I saw them
yesterday for the first time in eleven years； and that now they are in
danger of deathand what a death！ Michu；〃 she said； with a melancholy
look； 〃be as prudent during the next fifteen hours as you have been
grand and devoted during the last twelve years。 If disaster were to
overtake my cousins now I should die of itNo；〃 she added； quickly；
〃I would live long enough to kill Bonaparte。〃
〃There will be two of us to do that when all is lost；〃 said Michu。
Laurence took his rough hand and wrung it warmly； as the English do。
Michu looked at his watch； it was midnight。
〃We must leave here at any cost；〃 he said。 〃Death to the gendarme who
attempts to stop me！ And you； madame la comtesse； without presuming to
dictate； ride back to Cinq…Cygne as fast as you can。 The police are
there by this time； fool them！ delay them！〃
The hole once opened； Michu flung himself down with his ear to the
earth； then he rose precipitately。 〃The gendarmes are at the edge of
the forest towards Troyes！〃 he said。 〃Ha； I'll get the better of them
yet！〃
He helped the countess to come out； and replaced the stones。 When this
was done he heard her soft voice telling him she must see him mounted
before mounting herself。 Tears came to the eyes of the stern man as he
exchanged a last look with his young mistress； whose own eyes were
tearless。
〃Fool them！ yes； he is right！〃 she said when she heard him no longer。
Then she darted towards Cinq…Cygne at full gallop。
CHAPTER VIII
TRIALS OF THE POLICE
Madame d'Hauteserre； roused by the danger of her sons； and not
believing that the Revolution was over； but still fearing its summary
justice； recovered her senses by the violence of the same distress
which made her lose them。 Led by an agonizing curiosity she returned
to the salon； which presented a picture worthy of the brush of a genre
painter。 The abbe； still seated at the card…table and mechanically
playing with the counters； was covertly observing Corentin and
Peyrade； who were standing together at a corner of the fireplace and
speaking in a low voice。 Several times Corentin's keen eye met the not
less keen glance of the priest； but； like two adversaries who knew
themselves equally strong； and who return to their guard after
crossing their weapons； each averted his eyes the instant they met。
The worthy old d'Hauteserre； poised on his long thin legs like a
heron； was standing beside the stout form of the mayor； in an attitude
expressive of utter stupefaction。 The mayor； though dressed as a
bourgeois； always looked like a servant。 Each gazed with a bewildered
eye at the gendarmes； in whose clutches Gothard was still sobbing； his
hands purple and swollen from the tightness of the cord that bound
them。 Catherine maintained her attitude of artless simplicity； which
was quite impenetrable。 The corporal； who； according to Corentin； had
committed a great blunder in arresting these smaller fry； did not know
whether to stay where he was or to depart。 He stood pensively in the
middle of the salon； his hand on the hilt of his sabre； his eye on the
two Parisians。 The Durieus； also stupefied； and the other servants of
the chateau made an admirable group of expressive uneasiness。 If it
had not been for Gothard's convulsive snifflings those present could
have heard the flies fly。
When Madame d'Hauteserre； pale and terrified； opened the door and
entered the room； almost carried by Mademoiselle Goujet； whose red
eyes had evidently been weeping； all faces turned to her at once。 The
two agents hoped as much as the household feared to see Laurence
enter。 This spontaneous movement of both masters and servants seemed
produced by the sort of mechanism which makes a number of wooden
figures perform the same gesture or wink the same eye。
Madame d'Hauteserre advanced by three rapid strides towards Corentin
and said； in a broken voice but violently： 〃For pity's sake； monsieur；
tell me what my sons are accused of。 Do you really think they have
been here？〃
The abbe； who seemed to be saying to himself when he saw the old lady；
〃She will certainly commit some folly；〃 lowered his eyes。
〃My duty and the mission I am engaged in forbid me to tell you；〃
answered Corentin； with a gracious but rather mocking air。
This refusal； which the detestable politeness of the vulgar fop seemed
to make all the more emphatic； petrified the poor mother； who fell
into a chair beside the Abbe Goujet； clasped her hands and began to
pray。
〃Where did you arrest that blubber？〃 asked Corentin； addressing the
corporal and pointing to Laurence's little henchman。
〃On the road that leads to the farm along the park walls； the little
scamp had nearly reached the Closeaux woods；〃 replied the corporal。
〃And that girl？〃
〃She？ oh； it was Oliver who caught her。〃
〃Where was she going？〃
〃Towards Gondreville。〃
〃They were going in opposite directions？〃 said Corentin。
〃Yes；〃 replied the gendarme。
〃Is that boy the groom； and the girl the maid of the citizeness Cinq…
Cygne？〃 said Corentin to the mayor。
〃Yes；〃 replied Goulard。
After Corentin had exchanged a few words with Peyrade in a whisper；
the latter left the room； taking the corporal of gendarmes with him。
Just then the corporal of Arcis made his appearance。 He went up to
Corentin and spoke to him in a low voice： 〃I know these premises
well；〃 he said； 〃I have searched everywhere； unless those young
fellows are buried； they are not here。 We have sounded all the floors
and walls with the butt end of our muskets。〃
Peyrade； who presently returned； signed to Corentin to come out； and
then took him to the breach in the moat and showed him the sunken way。
〃We have guessed the trick；〃 said Peyrade。
〃And I'll tell you how it was done；〃 added Corentin。 〃That little
scamp and the girl decoyed those idiots of gendarmes and thus made
time for the game to escape。〃
〃We can't know the truth till daylight；〃 said Peyrade。 〃The road is
damp； I have ordered two gendarmes to barricade it top and bottom。
We'll examine it after daylight； and find out by the footsteps who
went that way。〃
〃I see a hoof…mark；〃 said Corentin； 〃let us go to the stables。〃
〃How many horses do you keep？〃 said Peyrade； returning to the salon
with Corentin； and addressing Monsieur d'Hauteserre and Goulard。
〃Come； monsieur le maire； you know； answer；〃 cried Corentin； seeing
that that functionary hesitated。
〃Why； there's the countess's mare； Gothard's horse； and Monsieur
d'Hauteserre's。〃
〃There is only one in the stable；〃 said Peyrade。
〃Mademoiselle is out riding；〃 said Durieu。
〃Does she often ride about at this time of night？〃 said the libertine
Peyrade； addressing Monsieur d'Hauteserre。
〃Often；〃 said the good man； simply。 〃Monsieur le maire can tell you
that。〃
〃Everybody knows she has her freaks；〃 remarked Catherine； 〃she looked
at the sky before she went to bed； and I think the glitter of your
bayonets in the moonlight puzzled her。 She told me she wanted to know
if there was going to be another revolution。〃
〃When did she go？〃 asked Peyrade。
〃When she saw your guns。〃
〃Which road did she take？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃There's another horse missing；〃 said Corentin。
〃The gendarmestook itaway from me；〃 said Gothard。
〃Where were you going？〃 said one of them。
〃I wasfollowingmy mistress to the farm；〃 sobbed the boy。
The gendarme looked towards Corentin as if expecting an order。 But
Gothard's speech was evidently so true and yet so false； so perfectly
innocent and so artful that the two Parisians again looked at each
other as if to echo Peyrade's former words： 〃They are not ninnies。〃
Monsieur d'Hauteserre seemed incapable of a word； the mayor was
bewildered； the mother； imbecile from maternal fears； was putting
questions to the police agents that were idiotically innocent； the
servants had been roused from their sleep。 Judging by these trifling
signs； and these diverse characters； Corentin came to the conclusion
that his only real adversary was Mademoiselle de Cinq…Cygne。 Shrewd
and dexterous as the police may be； they are always under certain
disadvantages。 Not only are they forced to discover all that is known
to a conspirator； but they must also suppose and test a great number
of things before they hit upon the right one。 The conspirator is
always thinking of his own safety； whereas the police is only on duty
at certain hours。 Were it not for treachery and betrayals； nothing
would be easier than to conspire successfully。 The conspirator has
more mind concentrated upon himself than the police can bring to bear
with all its vast facilities of action。 Finding themselves stopped
short morally； as they might be physically by a door which they
expected to find open being shut in their faces； Corentin and Peyrade
saw they were tricked and misled； without knowing by whom。
〃I assert；〃 said the corporal of Arcis； in their ear； 〃that if the
four young men slept here last night it must have been in the beds of
their father and mother； and Mademoiselle de Cinq…Cygne； or those of
the serva