to
any of his usual haunts."

Evidently there was no information to be obtained from Francois, so
Raoul gave him some money and let him go.

"Perhaps the fellow was right in saying you had made a mistake,"
remarked Humphreys, but this I would not admit. Not only had I seen
Pillot, but he had recognised me.

"Let us try at La Boule d'Or," Raoul suggested, "and, if that is
useless, we will not bother any further. After all, it really is of
small consequence one way or the other."

The famous inn was crowded as usual, but Raoul conducted us to a
private room, where, in a few minutes, we were joined by the landlord.
He remembered me immediately, and began to speak of the trick I had
played on the dwarf.

"We have come to meet Pillot," interrupted Raoul playing a bold game;
"tell him we are here."

"But, monsieur, it is impossible! He is not in my house. He has been
here only once since monsieur tied him up. It would not be a safe
place for him. Besides, I have heard that he is no longer in Paris.
Monsieur can search the place himself if he wishes. At the present,
the inn is empty of guests. Two friends of the prince have been
staying here, but they departed yesterday."

"And all your rooms are free?"

"That is so. Monsieur is at liberty to search the house."

"Come," said Raoul to us, "we are not likely to discover anything, but
we shall feel more satisfied perhaps."

Taking a candle the landlord led the way, and we tramped after him,
searching every room. Raoul knew the house thoroughly, so that nothing
escaped us, and we were bound to admit that Pillot was not in the inn.
Leaving us outside, Raoul entered the public rooms, but he could
neither find the dwarf nor gain any information of him, and at last we
departed, my comrades feeling more than half inclined to believe that
my eyes had deceived me.

However, as Raoul said, I should gain little even by finding Pillot.
If my cousin still lived--which I sincerely hoped--he could not be in
much danger from Conde. Beneath all the gaiety and merriment of that
night, it was easy to observe the shadow of coming trouble, and,
indeed, before many days had passed Paris was again in a state of
turmoil.

Conde was almost openly in rebellion: the country trembled on the brink
of civil war; of authority there was none save in the strong hand;
every man did that which seemed right in his own eyes. Bands of armed
ruffians paraded the streets, robbing and murd