ned in 1790 for a post in the
municipal administration at Rouen. In the year IV he was chief of the
Bureau of Public Instruction, but in reality he alone did all the work
of the mayoralty, and also some of that of the Department, and did it so
well that he found himself, in 1802, in the post of secretary-in-chief
of the municipality. In this capacity he gave and inspected all
passports. For five years past no one had been able to travel in the
Seine-Inferieure without going through his office. As he had a good
memory and his business interested him, he had a very clear recollection
of all whom he had scrutinised and passed. He remembered very well
having signed the passport that took d'Ache from Gournay to
Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1803, and retained a good idea of the robust
man, tall, with a high forehead and black hair. He remembered, moreover,
that d'Ache's "toe-nails were so grown into his flesh that he walked on
them."

Since this meeting with d'Ache, Licquet's appointments had increased
considerably; while retaining his place as secretary-general, he had
obtained the directorship of police, and fulfilled his functions with so
much energy, authority and cunning that no one dreamt of criticising his
encroachments. He was, besides, much feared for his bitter tongue, but
he pleased the prefect, who liked his wit and appreciated his
cleverness. From the beginning Licquet was fascinated by the idea of
discovering the elusive conspirator and thus demonstrating his
adroitness to the police of Paris; and his satisfaction was profound,
when, on the 17th of August, 1807, three days after having arranged a
plan of campaign and issued instructions to his subordinates, he was
informed that M. d'Ache was confined in the Conciergerie of the Palais
de Justice. He rushed to the Palais and ordered the prisoner to be
brought before him. It was "Tourlour," d'Ache's inoffensive brother
Placide, arrested at Saint Denis-du-Bosguerard, where he had gone to
visit his old mother. Licquet's disappointment was cruel, for he had
nothing to expect from Tourlour; but to hide his chagrin he questioned
him about his brother (whom Placide declared he had not seen for four
years) and how he passed his time, which was spent, said Tourlour, when
he was not in the Rue Saint-Patrice, between Saint-Denis-du-Bosguerard
and Mme. de Combray's chateau near Gaillon. Placide declared that he
only desired to live in peace, and to care for his aged and infirm
m