d Robespierre blandly. "The Republic has been unusually
patient and long-suffering with you, Citizen Chauvelin. She has taken
your many services and well-known patriotism into consideration. But
you know," he added significantly, "that she has no use for worthless
tools."

Then as Chauvelin seemed to have relapsed into sullen silence, he
continued with his original ill-omened blandness:

"Ma foi! Citizen Chauvelin, were I standing in your buckled shoes, I
would not lose another hour in trying to avenge mine own humiliation!"

"Have I ever had a chance?" burst out Chauvelin with ill-suppressed
vehemence. "What can I do single-handed? Since war has been declared
I cannot go to England unless the Government will find some official
reason for my doing so. There is much grumbling and wrath over here, and
when that damned Scarlet Pimpernel League has been at work, when a score
or so of valuable prizes have been snatched from under the very knife
of the guillotine, then, there is much gnashing of teeth and useless
cursings, but nothing serious or definite is done to smother those
accursed English flies which come buzzing about our ears."

"Nay! you forget, Citizen Chauvelin," retorted Robespierre, "that we of
the Committee of Public Safety are far more helpless than you. You
know the language of these people, we don't. You know their manners and
customs, their ways of thought, the methods they are likely to employ:
we know none of these things. You have seen and spoken to men in England
who are members of that damned League. You have seen the man who is its
leader. We have not."

He leant forward on the table and looked more searchingly at the thin,
pallid face before him.

"If you named that leader to me now, if you described him, we could
go to work more easily. You could name him, and you would, Citizen
Chauvelin."

"I cannot," retorted Chauvelin doggedly.

"Ah! but I think you could. But there! I do not blame your silence. You
would wish to reap the reward of your own victory, to be the instrument
of your own revenge. Passions! I think it natural! But in the name of
your own safety, Citizen, do not be too greedy with your secret. If the
man is known to you, find him again, find him, lure him to France! We
want him--the people want him! And if the people do not get what they
want, they will turn on those who have withheld their prey."

"I understand, Citizen, that your own safety and that of your government
is in