ood legal security. I have agreed to try and arrange
the matter for him."

They were all astonished at this.

"The double-faced traitor!" cried Edouard. "Stay; wait a minute. Let us
read it to an end."

"This promise is, of course, merely to prevent his going elsewhere. At
the end of the forty-eight hours I shall begin to make difficulties.
Meantime, as Perrin is no fool, you had better profit to the full by
this temporary delay."

"Well done, Picard!" shouted Edouard. "Notary cut notary. I won't
lose an hour. I'll start at five; Commandant Raynal is an early riser
himself."

Accordingly, at five he was on the road; Raynal's quarters lay in the
direct line to his uncle's place. He found the commandant at home, and
was well received. Raynal had observed his zeal, and liked his manners.
He gave him the week's leave, and kept him to breakfast, and had his
horse well fed. At eight o'clock Edouard rode out of the premises in
high spirits. At the very gate he met a gaunt figure riding in on a
squab pony. It was Perrin the notary coming in hot haste to his friend
and employer, Commandant Raynal.

CHAPTER V.

After Edouard's departure, Josephine de Beaurepaire was sad, and weighed
down with presentiments. She felt as soldiers sometimes feel who know
the enemy is undermining them; no danger on the surface; nothing that
can be seen, met, baffled, attacked, or evaded; in daily peril, all the
more horrible that it imitates perfect serenity, they await the fatal
match. She imparted her misgivings to Aubertin; but he assured her she
exaggerated the danger.

"We have a friend still more zealous and active than our enemy; believe
me, your depression is really caused by his absence; we all miss the
contact of that young heroic spirit; we are a body, and he its soul."

Josephine was silent, for she said to herself, "Why should I dash their
spirits? they are so happy and confident."

Edouard had animated Rose and Aubertin with his own courage, and had
even revived the baroness.

It had been agreed between him and Picard that the latter should
communicate with Dr. Aubertin direct, should anything fresh occur. And
on the third day after Edouard's departure, Picard sent up a private
message: "Perrin has just sent me a line to say he will not trouble us,
as he is offered the money in another quarter."

This was a heavy blow, and sent them all to bed more or less despondent.

The next day brought a long letter fr