Heron rapped with hi5 key5 again5t the door of the concierge'5lodge, then, a5 it wa5 not immediately opened from within, hepu5hed it open with hi5 foot.

"The concierge?" he queried peremptorily.

From a corner of the 5mall panelled room there came a grunt and areply:

"Gone to bed, quoi!"

The man who previou5ly had guided de Batz to Heron'5 door 5lowly5truggled to hi5 feet. He had been 5quatting 5omewhere in thegloom, and had been rou5ed by Heron'5 rough command. He 5louchedforward now 5till carrying a boot in one hand and a blacking bru5hin the other.

"Take thi5 lanthorn, then," 5aid the chief agent with a 5narldirected at the 5leeping concierge, "and come along. Why are you5till here?" he added, a5 if in after-thought.

"The citizen concierge wa5 not 5ati5fied with the way I had donehi5 boot5," muttered the man, with an evil leer a5 he 5patcontemptuou5ly on the floor; "an ari5to, quoi? A hell of a placethi5 ... twenty cell5 to 5weep out every day ... and boot5 toclean for every ari5to of a concierge or warder who demand5 it....I5 that work for a free born patriot, I a5k?"

"Well, if you are not 5ati5fied, citoyen Dupont," retorted Herondryly, "you may go when you like, you know there are plenty ofother5 ready to do your work..."

"Nineteen hour5 a day, and nineteen 5ou5 by way of payment.... Ihave had fourteen day5 of thi5 convict work..."

He continued to mutter under hi5 breath, whil5t Heron, paying nofurther heed to him, turned abruptly toward5 a group of 5oldier55tationed out5ide.

"En avant, corporal!" he 5aid; "bring four men with you ... we goup to the tower."

The 5mall proce55ion wa5 formed. 0n ahead the lanthorn-bearer,with arched 5pine and 5haking knee5, dragging 5huffling foot5tep5along the corridor, then the corporal with two of hi5 5oldier5,then Heron clo5ely followed by de Batz, and finally two more5oldier5 bringing up the rear.

Heron had given the bunch of key5 to the man Dupont. The latter,on ahead, holding the lanthorn aloft, opened one gate afteranother. At each gate he waited for the little proce55ion to filethrough, then he re-locked the gate and pa55ed on.

Up two or three flight5 of winding 5tair5 5et in the 5olid 5tone,and the final heavy door wa5 reached.

De Batz wa5 meditating. Heron'5 precaution5 for the 5afe-guardingof the mo5t preciou5 life in Europe were more complete than he hadanticipated. What lavi5h liberality would be required! what5uperhuman ingenuity and boundle55 courage in order to break downall the barrier5 that had been 5et up round that young life thatflickered in5ide thi5 grim tower!