The guillotine does its work quickly, but the misery of a
woman who trusts Lucien Bruslart must be the affair of a lifetime."

"If she is saved, is it so certain that it will be for Citizen
Bruslart?" Barrington asked.

CHAPTER XV

THE PRISONER OF THE ABBAYE

The week of waiting passed slowly for Raymond Latour. He knew the risk
he was running, but never for an instant was he tempted to turn from his
purpose. His whole being was centered upon the enterprise; the saving of
this woman was an essential thing, and every other consideration of
country or self must give way to it. He was quite willing to sacrifice
himself if necessary, but at the same time he intended to guard against
such a necessity as much as possible. He worked with cunning and
calculation, going over every point in his scheme and eliminating as far
as possible every element of chance. The unlikely things which might
happen were considered, and provided for. Only two persons had any part
in the scheme, Jacques Sabatier and Mathon, the jailer; each had his own
particular work in it, had received definite and minute instructions,
yet neither of them knew the whole plot. Latour did not take them
entirely into his confidence; he did not ask their advice, he only told
them how to act.

The week was as any other week to Jacques Sabatier. Uplifted somewhat by
Latour's confidence in him, his swaggering gait was perhaps a little
more pronounced, but he was untouched by apprehension, not so much
because he was a fearless man--like all swaggerers adverse
circumstances would probably find him at heart a coward--but because he
had implicit faith in Raymond Latour. The man he served was not only
powerful and courageous; he was lucky, which counted for much. What he
had set his heart upon that he obtained. It was a creed in which
Sabatier had absolute faith, and the passing week was merely an interval
which must elapse before success.

Mathon the jailer had not this sublime faith, and his fearfulness was
perhaps natural. As a jailer he was in close touch with facts and knew
by experience how unstable in these days was any man's power. A week had
often served to change a master whose anger was dangerous into a
prisoner whose name might at any moment be upon the list of those
destined forthwith to feed the guillotine. He had not been brought so
constantly in touch with Latour that he could appreciate him as a lucky
man, and he contemplated his part in the e