When she had finished her long declaration, she fell into a state of deep depression.  On entering the prison next day, Licquet found her engaged in cutting off her magnificent hair, which, she said sadly, she wished to save from the executioner.  She observed that since she was miserably destined to die, Chauvel, who called himself her friend, had done very wrong in preventing her from taking poison:  all would have been over by now.  But she hoped that grief would kill her before they had time to condemn her.

As she said these words she turned her beautiful piercing eyes to a dark corner of her cell.  Licquet, following her gaze, saw a very prominent nail sticking in the wall at a height of about six feet.  Without letting her see his anxiety, he tried to direct the prisoner’s attention to other objects, and succeeded in working her up to a state of “wild gaiety.”

That very day the nail was taken out, but there still remained the bolts of the door and the bed-posts, to which, being of such low stature, she could hang herself; a woman from Bicetre was therefore set to watch her.

It would be impossible to follow Licquet through all the phases of the inquiry.  This diabolical man seems to have possessed the gift of ubiquity.  He was in the prison where he worked upon the prisoners; at the prefecture directing the examinations; at Caen, making inquiries under the very nose of Caffarelli, who believed that the affair had long since been buried; at Falaise, where he was collecting testimony; at Honfleur, at Pont-Audemer, at Paris.  He drew up innumerable reports, and sent them to the prefect or to Real, with whom he corresponded directly, and when he was asked what reward he was ambitious of obtaining for his devoted service to the State, he replied philosophically:  “I do not work for my own glory, but only for that of the police generally, and of our dear Councillor, whom I love with all my heart.  As for me, poor devil, I am destined to remain obscure, which, I must say, pleases me, since I recognise the inconvenience of having a reputation.”

* * * * *

One of the most picturesque events of his enquiry was another journey taken towards the end of October by the false Captain Delaitre and his false nephew in search of Allain and Buquet, whom they had not found on the day mentioned at the inn at Cany.  At Caen Delaitre saw again the lawyer Langelley, the Placenes and Monderard’s daughter, and they entertained him.  He gave them very good news of Mme. Acquet, who, he said, was comfortably settled at a place on the English coast; but although he had a very important letter for Allain, which Mme. de Combray wished him to take to England without delay, the wily Chouan did not show himself.  His daughter, who had set up as a dressmaker at Caen and was in communication with Mme. Placene, undertook, however, to forward the letter to him.  The Captain announced