You are wise.

[Going.]

Within an hour, the trial comes on.  Be at hand, or—­

[Making a sign across his throat.]

There’s nothing like this to quiet a traitor’s tongue.

[Exit.

POTIN.

[Looking after him.]

To lie living, and be a coward—­or to lie dead, and be a corpse; that’s the riddle.—­No!  I’ll be neither a coward nor a corpse.  I’ll run away!—­run like a brave man, enlist in the army of Vendee, and so escape damnation, and my wife.

[Starts off.]

Liberty, lend thy wings that I may fly—­

[NANETTE appears.]

Ye gods!—­Fate is false again!

NANETTE.

Ha!  It’s you, is it?

POTIN.

No, it was me; but now you’re here, I’m nobody.

NANETTE.

Where’s the Duke?

POTIN

[Pointing.]

In that cell.

NANETTE.

And I believe ’twas you betrayed him!

POTIN.

[Indignantly.]

That’s a lie!

NANETTE.

Well said!  Short and sharp, like the truth.

[She pats POTIN on the back.  He turns away.]

Bravo!—­But one moment!  Do you know who did betray him?

[POTIN shakes his head mournfully.]

You do know!  I can see by the wag of your head you know, and I mean to make you tell me!—­But I can’t stop now; I’m here to see Mam’selle Diane; where is she?

POTIN.

[Pointing to cell.]

There—­with her father.

NANETTE.

I’ll be back soon, and then I’ll give you a piece of my mind.

POTIN.

Give me peace if you like, dear, but keep the mind for yourself; you’ve none to spare.

NANETTE.

Woe to you when next we meet!

[She flounces out.

POTIN.

Yes, it’s woe to me whene’er we meet!—­But now to fly; I’ve no time to lose; between my wife and Gouroc, I shall go cracked.  So here’s for liberty, and Vendee!

[Exit into his room.

Enter GOUROC, followed by GUARDS escorting MARDOCHE.

GOUROC.