might bring the fate of a Chouan on the
innocent fellow who cared for no politics at all.

"And what a life, to care for no cause at all!" cried Joseph, with
eloquently waving hands. "But--you say you are going to Paris, to get to
the bottom of this? Well, my friend, go! And I promise you, if Ange is
in danger, I will follow and take his place. You and Anne may rely upon
it, he shall not be punished for my sins."

"Come with me now, then! I start this very night," said Urbain.

"No, no! I will not accuse myself before it is necessary," said Joseph,
shaking his head and smiling.

Urbain flung away in angry disgust. Joseph had a moment of profound
sadness as he looked after him--they were standing in the courtyard of
La Mariniere--then stole away home through the lanes, carefully avoiding
a sight of his sister-in-law.

"I let him go! I let him go, poor Urbain! and his boy safe at Les
Chouettes all the time. Why do I do it? because the house is watched day
and night; because neither I, nor Gigot, nor Tobie, can go into the
woods without seeing the glitter of a police carbine through the leaves;
because the dogs growl at night, and there is no safe place for Angelot
outside Les Chouettes, till he is out of France altogether--and that I
shall have to manage carefully. Because, if his father knew he had
escaped from the police, all the world would know. Et puis,--I shall
make a good Royalist of you in the end, my little Angelot. Your mother
will not blame me for cutting you off from the Empire, and your father
must comfort himself with his philosophy. And that hopeless passion for
Mademoiselle Helene--what can be kinder than to end it--and by the great
cure of all--time, absence, impossibility! Yes; the matter is in my
hands, and I shall carry it through, God helping me."

It was not a light burden that he had to carry, the little uncle. Never,
since his brother's intervention brought him back to France and placed
him where he and his old friends could amuse themselves with
conspiracies which, as Joubard said, did little harm to any one, had he
been in a position of such real difficulty. Riette did not at all
realise what she was bringing upon her father, when she slipped into his
room that night with the news that Angelot had escaped from the police.
He had to keep his nephew quietly imprisoned till he could get him away
safely; it required all his arguments, all his influence and strength of
will, to do that; for Ange