the
police have made upon the house in the Val-de-Grace, and the necessity
he was under of sending away his workmen and burying his press?"

"Perfectly."

"You remember the determination which was come to in consequence?"

"To employ a copyist."

"Finally, you remember that I undertook to find that copyist?"

"I do."

"Well, this copyist on whom I had cast my eyes, this honest man whom I
promised to discover, is discovered, and is no other than the guardian
of Bathilde."

"Buvat?"

"Himself! Well, I give you full powers, you go to his house, you offer
him gold, the door is opened to you on the instant, and you can sing as
much as you like with Bathilde."

"My dear abbe," cried D'Harmental, "you have saved my life!"

D'Harmental took his hat, and darted toward the door; now that he had a
pretext he doubted of nothing.

"Stop, stop," said Brigaud; "you do not even ask me where the good man
must go for the papers in question."

"To your house, pardieu!"

"Certainly not, young man, certainly not."

"Where then?"

"At the Prince de Listhnay's, Rue du Bac, 110."

"The Prince de Listhnay! And who is he?"

"One of our own making--D'Avranches, the valet-de-chambre to Madame de
Maine."

"And you think that he will play his part well?"

"Not for you, perhaps, who are accustomed to see princes, but for
Buvat."

"You are right. Au revoir, abbe!"

"You find the pretext good?"

"Capital."

"Go, then, and good luck go with you."

D'Harmental descended the stairs four at a time; then, having arrived at
the middle of the street, and seeing the abbe watching him from the
window, he made a parting sign to him with his hand, and disappeared
through the door of Bathilde's house.

CHAPTER XXVI.

COUNTERPLOTS.

On her part, as may be easily understood, Bathilde had not made such an
effort without suffering from it; the poor child loved D'Harmental with
all the strength of a love at seventeen, a first love. During the first
month of his absence she had counted the days; during the fifth week
she had counted the hours; during the last week she had counted the
minutes. Then it was that the Abbe Chaulieu fetched her, to take her to
Mademoiselle de Launay; and as he had taken care, not only to speak of
her talents, but also to tell who she was, Bathilde was received with
all the consideration which was due to her, and which poor De Launay
paid all the more readily from its having been so long forgotten