’Sapristi! a couple of cuts of that wood-axe, and a bed in the softest corner of the marsh, would have settled the business at once,’ said the fellow by my side.

’Quite true, my good Toussac; but it is not usual to lead off with your ace of trumps.  A little delicacy—­a little finesse—­’

‘Let us hear what you did then?’

‘It was my first object to learn whether this man Laval—­’

‘What did you say his name was?’ cried the thin man.

’His name, according to his account, is Laval.  My first object then was to find out whether he had in truth seen me conceal the papers or not.  It was an important question for us, and, as things have turned out, more important still for him.  I made my little plan, therefore.  I waited until I saw you approach, and I then left him alone in the hut.  I watched through the window and saw him fly to the hiding-place.  We then entered, and I asked you, Toussac, to be good enough to lift him down—­and there he lies.’

The young fellow looked proudly round for the applause of his comrades, and the thin man clapped his hands softly together, looking very hard at me while he did so.

‘My dear Lesage,’ said he, ’you have certainly excelled yourself.  When our new republic looks for its minister of police we shall know where to find him.  I confess that when, after guiding Toussac to this shelter, I followed you in and perceived a gentleman’s legs projecting from the fireplace, even my wits, which are usually none of the slowest, hardly grasped the situation.  Toussac, however, grasped the legs.  He is always practical, the good Toussac.’

‘Enough words!’ growled the hairy creature beside me.  ’It is because we have talked instead of acting that this Buonaparte has a crown upon his head or a head upon his shoulders.  Let us have done with the fellow and come to business.’

The refined features of Lesage made me look towards him as to a possible protector, but his large dark eyes were as cold and hard as jet as he looked back at me.

‘What Toussac says is right,’ said he.  ’We imperil our own safety if he goes with our secret.’

‘The devil take our own safety!’ cried Toussac.  ’What has that to do with the matter?  We imperil the success of our plans—­that is of more importance.’

‘The two things go together,’ replied Lesage.  ’There is no doubt that Rule 13 of our confederation defines exactly what should be done in such a case.  Any responsibility must rest with the passers of Rule 13.’

My heart had turned cold when this man with his poet’s face supported the savage at my side.  But my hopes were raised again when the thin man, who had said little hitherto, though he had continued to stare at me very intently, began now to show some signs of alarm at the bloodthirsty proposals of his comrades.

‘My dear Lucien,’ said he, in a soothing voice, laying his hand upon the young man’s arm, ’we philosophers and reasoners must have a respect for human life.  The tabernacle is not to be lightly violated.  We have frequently agreed that if it were not for the excesses of Marat—­’