goes about quite openly with De Retz."

"Why doesn't Conde arrest him?" asked Humphreys, who was not in the
habit of beating about the bush.

"Henri de Lalande has played his game far too cleverly," laughed Raoul,
"you may depend that his share in the plot was known only to himself
and De Retz."

"But," said I, "the instructions for trapping me must have been given
by him."

"There you are wrong. The man Francois has been examined, and he knows
nothing of your cousin. He was employed and paid by Peleton, who was
wise enough to mention no names."

"Peleton is an arrant coward, and a traitor to boot."

"Just so," said Raoul, "and were he caught the whole secret would be
laid bare. But he has vanished."

"And it is my business to find him; I have promised Conde to do so,
though without implicating him, and, besides, I want to clear my own
name. Is he likely to have left Paris?"

Raoul went to the door to make sure that no one was listening, and
coming back, said quietly, "I will tell you my idea. Everything
depends on Peleton, and De Retz is aware that he would betray his
dearest friend for a hundred pistoles. Do you follow me?"

"Perfectly," said I impatiently, "go on."

"As soon as Conde got on the right track, Peleton disappeared and has
not been seen since. Now if he were a free man, he would long before
this have made a bargain with Conde in order to preserve his own skin."

"Do you think----" I began in horror, but Raoul interrupted me, saying,
"No, no, not as bad as that. I simply mean they are holding him a
prisoner till the affair has blown over. De Retz is making a hard
fight with Conde, and if the prince is beaten, why, then Peleton can
talk as much as he likes. Of course for your own sake you must try to
unearth him, and I will help in the search."

"So will I," exclaimed Humphreys, "though I shall be of little use
unless it comes to fighting."

"There may be enough and to spare of that," said Raoul, "if Henri de
Lalande is the fellow's gaoler. He may be a rogue, but he is a
fearless one."

Raoul's theory was, certainly, mere guess-work, but the more we
discussed it the more likely it appeared to be correct. Peleton was a
tricky fellow, and I understood my cousin too well to believe that he
would allow him to be at large.

"If Peleton's hiding-place is to be discovered we must watch Henri," I
suggested at length, and the others agreed.

"There is one thing I can do," remarked R