ne, for he had known Delaitre for a long
time as a man whose loyalty was beyond all doubt. As there could be no
question of introducing him into the prison, Licquet kindly undertook to
acquaint him with the service expected of him, and to give him the three
letters which Mme. de Combray was to write immediately. The first, which
was very confidential, was addressed to the good Delaitre himself; the
second was to be handed, at the moment of going on board, to Mauge, a
lawyer at Valery, who was to provide the necessary money for the
fugitive's existence in England; the third accredited Delaitre to Mme.
Acquet. The Marquise ordered her daughter to follow the honest Captain,
whom she represented as a tried friend; she begged her, in her own
interest and that of all their friends, to leave the country without
losing a day; and she concluded by saying that in the event of her
obeying immediately, she would provide generously for all her wants;
then she signed and handed the three letters to Licquet, overwhelming
him with protestations of gratitude.

All the detective had to do was to procure a false Delaitre, since the
real did not exist. They selected an intelligent man, of suitable
bearing, and making out a detailed passport, despatched him to Falaise,
armed with the Marquise's letters, to have an interview with the
laundress. Five days later he returned to Rouen. The Chauvels, on seeing
Mme. de Combray's letters, quite unsuspectingly gave the messenger a
warm welcome. The gendarme, however, did not approve of the idea of
crossing to England. Mme. Acquet, he said, was very well hidden in Caen,
and nobody suspected where she was. What was the use of exposing her to
the risk of embarking at a well watched port. But as Delaitre insisted,
saying that he had a commission from Mme. de Combray which he must carry
out, Chauvel, whose duty kept him at Falaise, arranged to meet the
Captain at Caen on the 2d of October. He wished to present him himself
to Mme. Acquet, and to help his mistress in this matter on which her
future depended. Thus it was that on the 1st of October, Licquet, now
sure of success, put the false Captain Delaitre in the coach leaving for
Caen, having given him as assistants, a nephew of the same name and a
servant, both carefully chosen from amongst the wiliest of his
assistants. The next day the three spies got out at the Hotel du Pare in
the Faubourg de Vaucelles at Caen, which Chauvel had fixed as the
meeting