rules you
will keep both your health and your voice."

I knew that it is often necessary to deceive before one can instruct; the
shadows must come before the dawn.

I took leave of my worthy Madame d'Urfe with an emotion which I had never
experienced before; it must have been a warning that I should never see
her again. I assured her that I would faithfully observe all my promises,
and she replied that her happiness was complete, and that she knew she
owed it all to me. In fine, I took d'Aranda and his top-boots, which he
was continually admiring, to my inn, whence we started in the evening, as
he had begged me to travel by night. He was ashamed to be seen in a
carriage dressed as a courier.

When we reached Abbeville he asked me where his mother was.

"We will see about it after dinner."

"But you can find out in a moment whether she is here or not?"

"Yes, but there is no hurry."

"And what will you do if she is not here?"

"We will go on till we meet her on the way. In the meanwhile let us go
and see the famous manufactory of M. Varobes before dinner."

"Go by yourself. I am tired, and I will sleep till you come back."

"Very good."

I spent two hours in going over the magnificent establishment, the owner
himself shewing it me, and then I went back to dinner and called for my
young gentleman.

"He started for Paris riding post," replied the innkeeper, who was also
the post-master, "five minutes after you left. He said he was going after
some dispatches you had left at Paris."

"If you don't get him back I will ruin you with law-suits; you had no
business to let him have a horse without my orders."

"I will capture the little rascal, sir, before he has got to Amiens."

He called a smart-looking postillion, who laughed when he heard what was
wanted.

"I would catch him up," said he, "even if he had four hours start. You
shall have him here at six o'clock."

"I will give you two louis."

"I would catch him for that, though he were a very lark."

He was in the saddle in five minutes, and by the rate at which he started
I did not doubt his success. Nevertheless I could not enjoy my dinner. I
felt so ashamed to have been taken in by a lad without any knowledge of
the world. I lay down on a bed and slept till the postillion aroused me
by coming in with the runaway, who looked half dead. I said nothing to
him, but gave orders that he should be locked up in a good room, with a
good bed to sleep on, and