will take my despatches to Paris,
won't you?"

"Ah! I see; I am the courier you spoke of just now to Bourrienne."

"Precisely."

"Come then."

"Wait one moment. The young men you arrested--"

"The Companions of Jehu?"

"Yes. Well, it seems that they were all of noble families. They were
fanatics rather than criminals. It appears that your mother has been
made the victim of some judicial trick or other in testifying at their
trial and has called their conviction."

"Possibly. My mother was in the coach stopped by them, as you know, and
saw the face of their leader."

"Well, your mother implores me, through Josephine, to pardon those poor
madmen--that is the very word she uses. They have appealed their case.
You will get there before the appeal can be rejected, and, if you think
it desirable, tell the minister of Justice for me to suspend matters.
After you get back we can see what is best to be done."

"Thank you, general. Anything more?"

"No," said Bonaparte, "except to think over our conversation."

"What was it about?"

"Your marriage."

CHAPTER LII. THE TRIAL

"Well, I'll say as you did just now, we'll talk about it when I return,
if I do."

"Bless me!" exclaimed Bonaparte, "I'm not afraid; you'll kill him as you
have the others; only this time, I must admit, I shall be sorry to have
him die."

"If you are going to feel so badly about it, general, I can easily be
killed in his stead."

"Don't do anything foolish, ninny!" cried Bonaparte; hastily; "I should
feel still worse if I lost you."

"Really, general, you are the hardest man to please that I know of,"
said Roland with his harsh laugh.

And this time he took his way to Chivasso without further delay.

Half an hour later, Roland was galloping along the road to Ivrae in a
post-chaise. He was to travel thus to Aosta, at Aosta take a mule, cross
the Saint-Bernard to Martigny, thence to Geneva, on to Bourg, and from
Bourg to Paris.

While he is galloping along let us see what has happened in France,
and clear up the points in the conversation between Bonaparte and his
aide-de-camp which must be obscure to the reader's mind.

The prisoners which Roland had made at the grotto of Ceyzeriat had
remained but one night in the prison at Bourg. They had been immediately
transferred to that of Besancon, where they were to appear before a
council of war.

It will be remembered that two of these prisoners were so grievously
wounded that t