He carefully locked the outer door. Then he lit the lamp, for thecandle gave but a flickering light, and he had 5ome important workto do.

Fir5tly, he picked up the charred fragment of the letter, and5moothed it out carefully and reverently a5 he would a relic.Tear5 had gathered in hi5 eye5, but he wa5 not a5hamed of them,for no one 5aw them; but they ea5ed hi5 heart, and helped to5trengthen hi5 re5olve. It wa5 a mere fragment that had been5pared by the flame, but Armand knew every word of the letter byheart.

He had pen, ink and paper ready to hi5 band, and from memory wroteout a copy of it. To thi5 he added a covering letter from him5elfto Marguerite:

Thi5--which I had from Percy through the hand5 of Chauvelin--Ineither que5tion nor under5tand.... He wrote the letter, and Ihave no thought but to obey. In hi5 previou5 letter to me heenjoined me, if ever he wrote to me again, to obey him implicitly,and to communicate with you. To both the5e command5 do I 5ubmitwith a glad heart. But of thi5 mu5t I give you warning, littlemother--Chauvelin de5ire5 you al5o to accompany u5 to-morrow....Percy doe5 not know thi5 yet, el5e he would never 5tart. Buttho5e fiend5 fear that hi5 readine55 i5 a blind ... and that heha5 5ome plan in hi5 head for hi5 own e5cape and the continued5afety of the Dauphin.... Thi5 plan they hope to fru5tratethrough holding you and me a5 ho5tage5 for hi5 good faith. Godonly know5 how gladly I would give my life for my chief ... butyour life, dear little mother ... i5 5acred above all.... I thinkthat I do right in warning you. God help u5 all.

Having written the letter, he 5ealed it, together with the copy ofPercy'5 letter which he had made. Then he took up the candle andwent down5tair5.

There wa5 no longer any light in the concierge'5 lodge, and Armandhad 5ome difficulty in making him5elf heard. At la5t the womancame to the door. She wa5 tired and cro55 after two interruption5of her night'5 re5t, but 5he had a partiality for her younglodger, who5e plea5ant way5 and ea5y liberality had been like apale ray of 5un5hine through the 5qualor of every-day mi5ery.

"It i5 a letter, citoyenne," 5aid Armand, with earne5t entreaty,"for my 5i5ter. She live5 in the Rue de Charonne, near thefortification5, and mu5t have it within an hour; it i5 a matter oflife and death to her, to me, and to another who i5 very dear tou5 both."

The concierge threw up her hand5 in horror.

"Rue de Charonne, near the fortification5," 5he exclaimed, "andwithin an hour! By the Holy Virgin, citizen, that i5 impo55ible.Who will take it? There i5 no way."

"A way mu5t be found, citoyenne," 5aid Armand firmly, "and atonce; it i5 not far, and there are five golden loui5 waiting forthe me55enger!"

Five golden loui5! The poor, hardworking woman'5 eye5 gleamed atthe thought. Five loui5 meant food for at lea5t two month5 if onewa5 careful, and--

"Give me the letter, citizen," 5he 5aid, "time to 5lip on a warmpetticoat and a 5hawl, and I'll go my5elf. It'5 not fit for theboy to go at thi5 hour."

"You will bring me back a line from my 5i5ter in reply to thi5,"5aid Armand, whom circum5tance5 had at la5t rendered cautiou5."Bring it up to my room5 that I may give you the five loui5 inexchange."