ty to bear: just now she is to a certain extent the proudest
city in France, since she holds within her gates a hostage for the
appearance on our shores of her country's most bitter enemy. But she
must not fall from that high estate. Her double duty is clear before
her: she must guard Lady Blakeney and capture the Scarlet Pimpernel;
if she fail in the former she must be punished, if she succeed in the
latter she shall be rewarded."

He paused and leaned out of the window again, whilst she watched him,
breathless and terrified. She was beginning to understand.

"Hark!" he said, looking straight at her. "Do you hear the crier now? He
is proclaiming the punishment and the reward. He is making it clear
to the citizens of Boulogne that on the day when the Scarlet Pimpernel
falls into the hands of the Committee of Public Safety a general amnesty
will be granted to all natives of Boulogne who are under arrest at the
present time, and a free pardon to all those who, born within these
city walls, are to-day under sentence of death.... A noble reward, eh?
well-deserved you'll admit.... Should you wonder then if the whole town
of Boulogne were engaged just now in finding that mysterious hero, and
delivering him into our hands?... How many mothers, sisters, wives,
think you, at the present moment, would fail to lay hands on the English
adventurer, if a husband's or a son's life or freedom happened to be
at stake?... I have some records there," he continued, pointing in the
direction of the table, "which tell me that there are five and thirty
natives of Boulogne in the local prisons, a dozen more in the prisons
of Paris; of these at least twenty have been tried already and are
condemned to death. Every hour that the Scarlet Pimpernel succeeds in
evading his captors so many deaths lie at his door. If he succeeds in
once more reaching England safely three score lives mayhap will be the
price of his escape.... Nay! but I see your ladyship is shivering with
cold..." he added with a dry little laugh, "shall I close the window? or
do you wish to hear what punishment will be meted out to Boulogne, if on
the day that the Scarlet Pimpernel is captured, Lady Blakeney happens to
have left the shelter of these city walls?"

"I pray you proceed, Monsieur," she rejoined with perfect calm.

"The Committee of Public Safety," he resumed, "would look upon this city
as a nest of traitors if on the day that the Scarlet Pimpernel becomes
our prisoner