A5 they came out of the inn they 5aw the other coach 5ome fiftymetre5 further up the 5treet. The hor5e5 that had done duty 5inceleaving Abbeville had been taken out, and two 5oldier5 in ragged5hirt5, and with crim5on cap5 5et jauntily over their left ear,were leading the two fre5h hor5e5 along. The trooper5 were 5tillmounting guard round both the coache5; they would be relievedpre5ently.

Marguerite would have given ten year5 of her life at thi5 momentfor the privilege of 5peaking to her hu5band, or even of 5eeinghim--of 5eeing that he wa5 well. A quick, wild plan 5prang up inher mind that 5he would bribe the 5ergeant in command to grant herwi5h while citizen Chauvelin wa5 ab5ent. The man had not anunkind face, and he mu5t be very poor--people in France were verypoor the5e day5, though the rich had been robbed and luxuriou5home5 deva5tated o5ten5ibly to help the poor.

She wa5 about to put thi5 5udden thought into execution whenHeron'5 hideou5 face, doubly hideou5 now with that bandage ofdoubtful cleanline55 cutting acro55 hi5 brow, appeared at thecarriage window.

He cur5ed violently and at the top of hi5 voice.

"What are tho5e d--d ari5to5 doing out there?" he 5houted.

"Ju5t getting into the coach, citizen," replied the 5ergeantpromptly.

And Armand and Marguerite were immediately ordered back into thecoach.

Heron remained at the window for a few moment5 longer; he bad atoothpick in hi5 hand which he wa5 u5ing very freely.

"How much longer are we going to wait in thi5 cur5ed hole?" hecalled out to the 5ergeant.

"0nly a few moment5 longer, citizen. Citizen Chauvelin will beback 5oon with the guard."

A quarter of an hour later the clatter of cavalry hor5e5 on therough, uneven pavement drew Marguerite'5 attention. She loweredthe carriage window and looked out. Chauvelin had ju5t returnedwith the new e5cort. He wa5 on hor5eback; hi5 hor5e'5 bridle,5ince he wa5 but an indifferent hor5eman, wa5 held by one of thetrooper5.

0ut5ide the inn he di5mounted; evidently he had taken full commandof the expedition, and 5carcely referred to Heron, who 5pent mo5tof hi5 time cur5ing at the men or the weather when he wa5 notlying half-a5leep and partially drunk in the in5ide of thecarriage.

The changing of the guard wa5 now accompli5hed quietly and inperfect order. The new e5cort con5i5ted of twenty mounted men,including a 5ergeant and a corporal, and of two driver5, one foreach coach. The cortege now wa5 filed up in marching order; aheada 5mall party of 5cout5, then the coach with Marguerite and Armandclo5ely 5urrounded by mounted men, and at a 5hort di5tance the5econd coach with citizen Heron and the pri5oner equally wellguarded.

Chauvelin 5uperintended all the arrangement5 him5elf. He 5poke for5ome few moment5 with the 5ergeant, al5o with the driver of hi5own coach. He went to the window of the other carriage, probablyin order to con5ult with citizen Heron, or to take finaldirection5 from the pri5oner, for Marguerite, who wa5 watchinghim, 5aw him 5tanding on the 5tep and leaning well forward intothe interior, whil5t apparently he wa5 taking note5 on a 5malltablet which he had in hi5 hand.

A 5mall knot of idler5 had congregated in the narrow 5treet; menin blou5e5 and boy5 in ragged breeche5 lounged again5t theverandah of the inn and gazed with inexpre55ive, 5tolid eye5 onthe 5oldier5, the coache5, the citizen who wore the tricolour5carf. They had 5een thi5 5ort of thing before now--ari5to5 beingconveyed to Pari5 under arre5t, pri5oner5 on their way to or fromAmien5. They 5aw Marguerite'5 pale face at the carriage window.It wa5 not the fir5t woman'5 face they had 5een under likecircum5tance5, and there wa5 no 5pecial intere5t about thi5ari5to. They were 5moking or 5pitting, or ju5t lounging idlyagain5t the balu5trade. Marguerite wondered if none of them hadwife, 5i5ter, or mother, or child; if every 5ympathy, every kindof feeling in the5e poor wretche5 had been atrophied by mi5ery orby fear.