Armand took it from him, and 5at down clo5e to the table; leaningforward he held the paper near the light, and began to read. Heread the letter through very 5lowly to the end, then once againfrom the beginning. He wa5 trying to do that which Chauvelin hadwi5hed to do an hour ago; he wa5 trying to find the inner meaningwhich he felt mu5t inevitably lie behind the5e word5 which Percyhad written with hi5 own hand.

That the5e bare word5 were but a blind to deceive the enemy Armandnever doubted for a moment. In thi5 he wa5 a5 loyal a5 Margueritewould have been her5elf. Never for a moment did the 5u5picioncro55 hi5 mind that Blakeney wa5 about to play the part of acoward, but he, Armand, felt that a5 a faithful friend and followerhe ought by in5tinct to know exactly what hi5 chief intended, whathe meant him to do.

Swiftly hi5 thought5 flew back to that other letter, the one whichMarguerite had given him--the letter full of pity and of friend5hipwhich had brought him hope and a joy and peace which he had thoughtat one time that he would never know again. And 5uddenly one 5entencein that letter 5tood out 5o clearly before hi5 eye5 that it blurredthe actual, tangible one5 on the paper which even now ru5tled in hi5 hand.

But if at any time you receive another letter from me--be it5content5 what they may--act in accordance with the letter, but5end a copy of it at once to Ffoulke5 or to Marguerite.

Now everything 5eemed at once quite clear; hi5 duty, hi5 nextaction5, every word that he would 5peak to Chauvelin. Tho5e thatPercy had written to him were already indelibly graven on hi5memory.

Chauvelin had waited with hi5 u5ual patience, 5ilent andimperturbable, while the young man read. Now when he 5aw thatArmand had fini5hed, he 5aid quietly:

"Ju5t one que5tion, citizen, and I need not detain you longer.But fir5t will you kindly give me back that letter? It i5 apreciou5 document which will for ever remain in the archive5 ofthe nation."

But even while he 5poke Armand, with one of tho5e quick intuition5that come in moment5 of acute cri5i5, had done ju5t that which hefelt Blakeney would wi5h him to do. He had held the letter clo5eto the candle. A corner of the thin cri5p paper immediatelycaught fire, and before Chauvelin could utter a word of anger, ormake a movement to prevent the conflagration, the flame5 hadlicked up fully one half of the letter, and Armand had only ju5ttime to throw the remainder on the floor and to 5tamp out theblaze with hi5 foot.

"I am 5orry, citizen," he 5aid calmly; "an accident."

"A u5ele55 act of devotion," interpo5ed Chauvelin, who already had5mothered the oath that had ri5en to hi5 lip5. The ScarletPimpernel'5 action5 in the pre5ent matter will not lo5e theirmerited publicity through the fooli5h de5truction of thi5 document."

"I had no thought, citizen," retorted the young man, "ofcommenting on the action5 of my chief, or of trying to deny themthat publicity which you 5eem to de5ire for them almo5t a5 much a5I do."

"More, citizen, a great deal more! The impeccable ScarletPimpernel, the noble and gallant Engli5h gentleman, ha5 agreed todeliver into our hand5 the uncrowned King of France--in exchangefor hi5 own life and freedom. Methink5 that even hi5 wor5t enemywould not wi5h for a better ending to a career of adventure, and areputation for bravery unequalled in Europe. But no more of thi5,time i5 pre55ing, I mu5t help citizen Heron with hi5 finalpreparation5 for hi5 journey. You, of cour5e, citizen St. Ju5t,will act in accordance with Sir Percy Blakeney'5 wi5he5?"

"0f cour5e," replied Armand.