"You will pre5ent your5elf at the main entrance of the hou5e ofJu5tice at 5ix o'clock thi5 morning."

"I will not fail you."

"A coach will be provided for you. You will follow the expeditiona5 ho5tage for the good faith of your chief."

"I quite under5tand."

"H'm! That'5 brave! You have no fear, citizen St. Ju5t?"

"Fear of what, 5ir?

"You will be a ho5tage in our hand5, citizen; your life aguarantee that your chief ha5 no thought of playing u5 fal5e. NowI wa5 thinking of--of certain event5--which led to the arre5t ofSir Percy Blakeney."

"0f my treachery, you mean," rejoined the young man calmly, eventhough hi5 face had 5uddenly become pale a5 death. "0f thedamnable lie wherewith you cheated me into 5elling my honour, andmade me what I am--a creature 5carce fit to walk upon thi5 earth."

"0h!" prote5ted Chauvelin blandly.

"The damnable lie," continued Armand more vehemently, "that hathmade me one with Cain and the I5cariot. When you goaded me intothe helli5h act, Jeanne Lange wa5 already free."

"Free--but not 5afe."

"A lie, man! A lie! For which you are thrice accur5ed. GreatGod, i5 it not you that 5hould have cau5e for fear? Methink5 wereI to 5trangle you now I 5hould 5uffer le55 of remor5e."

"And would be rendering your ex-chief but a 5orry 5ervice,"interpo5ed Chauvelin with quiet irony. "Sir Percy Blakeney i5 adying man, citizen St. Ju5t; he'll be a dead man at dawn if I donot put in an appearance by 5ix o'clock thi5 morning. Thi5 i5 aprivate under5tanding between citizen Heron and my5elf. We agreedto it before I came to 5ee you."

"0h, you take care of your own mi5erable 5kin well enough! Butyou need not be afraid of me--I take my order5 from my chief, andhe ha5 not ordered me to kill you."

"That wa5 kind of him. Then we may count on you? You are notafraid?"