l, I hardly
believed that he would be such a scoundrel. I abhorred his
opinions, but believed that he was at least sincere. I did not see
what he could gain by a revolution. Now I understand his character
better, and can see how cleverly he has played his cards. I cannot
reckon myself with the scoundrel, deeply as he has wronged me and
my father; but I should welcome the news that retribution had
fallen upon him, by some other hand.

"And now, Jules, can you give me any advice whatever as to how to
set about my scheme of getting them both out of prison?"

Jules shook his head.

"I fear, my poor friend, that that is impossible. The prison is, as
you know, strong. There are, I should say, some forty warders, all
ruffians and scoundrels. Any attempt to bribe even one of them
would, almost to a certainty, be denounced; and it would probably
be necessary to have at least half a dozen in the plot. As to
force, it is out of the question. The building is very strong.
There are always some twenty or thirty of the volunteers on guard
outside, and an alarm would bring up five hundred in a quarter of
an hour, to say nothing of the troops. What force could you bring
that could have even a remote chance of success?"

"I have Leigh with me. You know him well, Jules. I rely much more
upon him than I do on myself. He is full of plans and contrivances,
and has rendered extraordinary services during the war. He has with
him, or rather will have in the course of a day or so, a band of
forty lads, of whom he is the captain, who have acted as scouts to
Cathelineau. They will be in hiding, a mile or two out of the
town."

Jules lifted his eyebrows.

"I am afraid that such a force as that would be of very little use
to you, Jean--in fact, of no use whatever. If you had five hundred
men, and could gather them for a sudden attack on the jail, and had
a couple of cannon to blow in the gate, I should say it might be
possible; and even then the chance of its being all done, and the
fugitives got safely away, before the arrival of some three
thousand troops would be very doubtful."

At this moment the servant brought in a note.

"Who brought this?" Monsieur Desailles asked.

"It was a woman, monsieur. She did not wait for an answer."

The advocate opened it. It was written in pencil.

"Dear Jules, Martin is on his feet denouncing you. Hostile vote
certain. Escape at once."

After reading it, he handed it to Jean.

"That settles it