r; she
only cared that her devotion should profit the man she adored, and if
the money was sent to d'Ache, all her trouble would be useless. She
tried to insist, saying that Dusaussay would take the money to the
royalist treasurer in Paris, that Le Chevalier was waiting for it in
order to go to Poitou where his presence was indispensable. But Mme. de
Combray was inflexible on this point; the entire sum should be delivered
to d'Ache's banker, or she would withdraw her assistance. Mme. Acquet
was obliged to yield with a heavy heart, and they began at once to
consider the best means of transporting it. The Marquise sent Jouanne,
the son of the old cook at Glatigny, to tell Lanoe that she wished to
see him at once. Jouanne made the six leagues between Falaise and
Glatigny at one stretch, and returned without taking breath, with Lanoe,
who put him up behind him on his horse. They had scarcely arrived when
Mme. de Combray ordered Lanoe to get a carriage at Donnay and prepare
for a journey of several days. Lanoe objected a little, said it was
harvest time, and that he had important work to finish, but all that
mattered little to the Marquise, who was firm and expected to be obeyed.
Mme. Acquet also insisted saying, "You know that mama only feels safe
when you drive her and that you are always well paid for it." This
decided Lanoe who started for Bijude where he slept that night. Mme. de
Combray did not spare her servants, and distance was not such an
obstacle to those people, accustomed to marching and riding, as it is
nowadays. This fact will help to explain some of the incidents that are
to follow.

On Thursday, July 16th, Lanoe returned to Falaise with a little cart
that a peasant of Donnay had lent him, to which he had harnessed his
horse and another lent him by Desjardins, one of Mme. de Combray's
farmers. The two women got in and started for La Bijude, Lefebre
accompanying them to the suburbs. He arranged a meeting with them at
Caen two days later, and gave them a little plan he had drawn which
would enable them to avoid the more frequented highroad.

Mme. de Combray and her daughter slept that night at La Bijude. The next
day was spent in arguing with the Buquets who did not dare to resist the
Marquise's commands, and at night they delivered, against their will,
two sacks containing 9,000 francs in crowns which she caused to be
placed in the cart, which was housed in the barn. It was impossible to
take more the first