the cousin from Orleans was
certainly a Frenchman every inch of him.

Perhaps had the denunciation come from any one else but de Batz, Heron
might have acted and thought more circumspectly; but, of course, the
chief agent of the Committee of General Security was more suspicious of
the man from whom he took a heavy bribe than of any one else in France.
The thought had suddenly crossed his mind that mayhap de Batz had sent
him on a fool's errand in order to get him safely out of the way of the
Temple prison at a given hour of the day.

The thought took shape, crystallised, caused him to see a rapid vision
of de Batz sneaking into his lodgings and stealing his keys, the guard
being slack, careless, inattentive, allowing the adventurer to pass
barriers that should have been closed against all comers.

Now Heron was sure of it; it was all a conspiracy invented by de Batz.
He had forgotten all about his theories that a man under arrest is
always safer than a man that is free. Had his brain been quite normal,
and not obsessed, as it always was now by thoughts of the Dauphin's
escape from prison, no doubt he would have been more suspicious of
Armand, but all his worst suspicions were directed against de Batz.
Armand seemed to him just a fool, an actor quoi? and so obviously not an
Englishman.

He jumped to his feet, curtly declining mademoiselle's offers of
hospitality. He wanted to get away at once. Actors and actresses were
always, by tacit consent of the authorities, more immune than the rest
of the community. They provided the only amusement in the intervals
of the horrible scenes around the scaffolds; they were irresponsible,
harmless creatures who did not meddle in politics.

Jeanne the while was gaily prattling on, her luminous eyes fixed upon
the all-powerful enemy, striving to read his thoughts, to understand
what went on behind those cruel, prominent eyes, the chances that Armand
had of safety and of life.

She knew, of course, that the visit was directed against Armand--some
one had betrayed him, that odious de Batz mayhap--and she was fighting
for Armand's safety, for his life. Her armoury consisted of her presence
of mind, her cool courage, her self-control; she used all these weapons
for his sake, though at times she felt as if the strain on her nerves
would snap the thread of life in her. The effort seemed more than she
could bear.

But she kept up her part, rallying Heron for the shortness of his
visit