interrogated they were all unanimous in
declaring that with the exception of Soyer and Mlle. Querey, they had
seen the Marquise start for Falaise, and did not know of her return.
The commandant returned to Gaillon with his men, little suspecting that
the woman he was looking for was calmly playing cards with one of her
accomplices a few steps away, while they were searching her house.

She lived with her guest for eight days in this house with the false
bottom, so to speak, never appearing outside, wandering through the
unfurnished rooms during the day, and returning to her hiding-place at
night.

They did not return to Tournebut till August 4th. The same day Soyer
received a letter from Mme. Acquet, on the envelope of which she had
written, "For Mama." It was an answer to the letter sent to
Croissanville by Lefebre. Mme. Acquet said that her mother's departure
did her a great wrong, but that all danger was over and Lefebre could
return to Falaise without fear. As for herself, she had found refuge
with a reliable person; the Abbe Moraud, vicar of Guibray, would take
charge of her correspondence. Of the proposal which had been made her to
take refuge at Tournebut, not a word. Evidently Mme. Acquet preferred
the retreat she had chosen for herself--where, she did not say. Mme. de
Combray, either hurt at this unjustifiable defiance, or afraid that she
would prove herself an accomplice in the theft if she did not separate
herself entirely from Mme. Acquet, made her maid reply that it was "too
late for her to come now, that she was very ill and could receive no
one." And thus the feeling that divided these two women was clearly
defined.

Lefebre undertook to give the letter to Abbe Moraud; he was in a great
hurry to return to Falaise, where he felt much safer than at Tournebut.
He left the same day, after having chosen a yellow horse from the
stables of the chateau. He put on top-boots and an overcoat belonging to
Bonnoeil, and left by a little door in the wall of the park. Soyer led
him as far as the Moulin des Quatre-Vents on the highroad. Lefebre took
the Neubourg road so as to avoid Evreux and Louviers. Two days after, he
breakfasted at Glatigny with Lanoe, leaving there his boots, overcoat,
and the yellow horse, and started gaily for Falaise, where he arrived in
the evening. He saw Mme. Acquet on the 7th, and found her completely at
her ease.

When Lanoe had abandoned her at the farm of Villeneuve, twelve days
befor