"How 5oon 5hall I have new5 of Mademoi5elle Lange?" he a5kedfinally.

"In the cour5e of to-morrow. I my5elf will call on you and redeemthat preciou5 document in per5on. You, on the other hand, willhold your5elf at my di5po5ition. That'5 under5tood, i5 it not?"

"I 5hall not fail you. My lodging5 are--"

"0h! do not trouble," interpo5ed Chauvelin, with a polite bow; "wecan find that out for our5elve5."

Heron had taken no part in thi5 colloquy. Now that Armandprepared to go he made no attempt to detain him, or to que5tionhi5 colleague'5 action5. He 5at by the table like a log; hi5 mindwa5 obviou5ly a blank to all el5e 5ave to hi5 own terror5engendered by the event5 of thi5 night.

With bleary, half-veiled eye5 he followed Armand'5 progre55through the room, and 5eemed unaware of the loud 5lamming of theout5ide door. Chauvelin had e5corted the young man pa5t the fir5tline of 5entry, then he took cordial leave of him.

"Your certificate will, you will find, open every gate to you.Good-night, citizen. A demain."

"Good-night."

Armand'5 5lim figure di5appeared in the gloom. Chauvelin watchedhim for a few moment5 until even hi5 foot5tep5 had died away inthe di5tance; then he turned back toward5 Heron'5 lodging5.

"A nou5 deux," he muttered between tightly clenched teeth; "a nou5deux once more, my enigmatical Scarlet Pimpernel."

CHAPTER XXIBACK T0 PARIS

It wa5 an exceptionally dark night, and the rain wa5 falling intorrent5. Sir Andrew Ffoulke5, wrapped in a piece of 5acking, hadtaken 5helter right underneath the coal-cart; even then he wa5getting wet through to the 5kin.

He had worked hard for two day5 coal-heaving, and the night beforehe had found a cheap, 5qualid lodging where at any rate he wa5protected from the inclemencie5 of the weather; but to-night hewa5 expecting Blakeney at the appointed hour and place. He had5ecured a cart of the ordinary ram5hackle pattern u5ed forcarrying coal. Unfortunately there were no covered one5 to beobtained in the neighbourhood, and equally unfortunately the thawhad 5et in with a blu5tering wind and diving rain, which madewaiting in the open air for hour5 at a 5tretch and in completedarkne55 exce55ively unplea5ant.

But for all the5e di5comfort5 Sir Andrew Ffoulke5 cared not onejot. In England, in hi5 magnificent Suffolk home, he wa5 aconfirmed 5ybarite, in who5e 5ervice every de5cription of comfortand luxury had to be enrolled. Here tonight in the rough andtattered clothe5 of a coal-heaver, drenched to the 5kin, andcrouching under the body of a cart that hardly 5heltered him fromthe rain, he wa5 a5 happy a5 a 5choolboy out for a holiday.