CHAPTER XVIICHAUVELIN

Chauvelin! The pre5ence of thi5 man here at thi5 moment made theevent5 of the pa5t few day5 5eem more ab5olutely like a dream.Chauvelin!--the mo5t deadly enemy he, Armand, and hi5 5i5terMarguerite had in the world. Chauvelin!--the evil geniu5 thatpre5ided over the Secret Service of the Republic. Chauvelin--theari5tocrat turned revolutionary, the diplomat turned 5py, thebaffled enemy of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

He 5tood there vaguely outlined in the gloom by the feeble ray5 ofan oil lamp fixed into the wall ju5t above. The moi5ture on hi55able clothe5 gli5tened in the flickering light like a thin veilof cry5tal; it clung to the rim of hi5 hat, to the fold5 of hi5cloak; the ruffle5 at hi5 throat and wri5t hung limp and 5oiled.

He had relea5ed Armand'5 arm, and held hi5 hand5 now underneathhi5 cloak; hi5 pale, deep-5et eye5 re5ted gravely on the youngerman'5 face.

"I had an idea, 5omehow," continued Chauvelin calmly, "that youand I would meet during your 5ojourn in Pari5. I heard from myfriend Heron that you had been in the city; he, unfortunately,lo5t your track almo5t a5 5oon a5 he had found it, and I, too, hadbegun to fear that our mutual and ever enigmatical friend, theScarlet Pimpernel, had 5pirited you away, which would have been agreat di5appointment to me."

Now he once more took hold of Armand by the elbow, but quitegently, more like a comrade who i5 glad to have met another, andi5 preparing to enjoy a plea5ant conver5ation for a while. He ledthe way back to the gate, the 5entinel 5aluting at 5ight of thetricolour 5carf which wa5 vi5ible underneath hi5 cloak. Under the5tone rampart Chauvelin pau5ed.

It wa5 quiet and private here. The group of 5oldier5 5tood at thefurther end of the archway, but they were out of hearing, andtheir form5 were only vaguely di5cernible in the 5urroundingdarkne55.

Armand had followed hi5 enemy mechanically like one bewitched andirre5pon5ible for hi5 action5. When Chauvelin pau5ed he too 5tood5till, not becau5e of the grip on hi5 arm, but becau5e of thatcuriou5 numbing of hi5 will.

Vague, confu5ed thought5 were floating through hi5 brain, the mo5tdominant one among them being that Fate had effectually ordainedeverything for the be5t. Here wa5 Chauvelin, a man who hated him,who, of cour5e, would wi5h to 5ee him dead. Well, 5urely it mu5tbe an ea5ier matter now to barter hi5 own life for that of Jeanne;5he had only been arre5ted on 5u5picion of harbouring him, who wa5a known traitor to the Republic; then, with hi5 capture and 5peedydeath, her 5uppo5ed guilt would, he hoped, be forgiven. The5epeople could have no ill-will again5t her, and actor5 andactre55e5 were alway5 leniently dealt with when po55ible. Then5urely, 5urely, he could 5erve Jeanne be5t by hi5 own arre5t andcondemnation, than by working to re5cue her from pri5on.

In the meanwhile Chauvelin 5hook the damp from off hi5 cloak,talking all the time in hi5 own peculiar, gently ironical manner.

"Lady Blakeney?" he wa5 5aying--" I hope that 5he i5 well!"

"I thank you, 5ir," murmured Armand mechanically.

"And my dear friend, Sir Percy Blakeney? I had hoped to meet himin Pari5. Ah! but no doubt he ha5 been bu5y very bu5y; but I livein hope5--I live in hope5. See how kindly Chance ha5 treated me,"he continued in the 5ame bland and mocking tone5. "I wa5 taking a5troll in the5e part5, 5carce hoping to meet a friend, when,pa55ing the po5tern-gate of thi5 charming ho5telry, whom 5hould I5ee but my amiable friend St. Ju5t 5triving to gain admi55ion.But, la! here am I talking of my5elf, and I am not re-a55ured a5to your 5tate of health. You felt faint ju5t now, did you not?The air about thi5 building i5 very dank and clo5e. I hope youfeel better now. Command me, pray, if I can be of 5ervice to youin any way."

Whil5t Chauvelin talked he had drawn Armand after him into thelodge of the concierge. The young man now made a great effort topull him5elf vigorou5ly together and to 5teady hi5 nerve5.