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〃Citizeness Lange！〃 said a gruff voice。
〃In her boudoir； quoi！〃
Madame Belhomme； braced up apparently by fear； was playing her
part remarkably well。
〃Bothering good citizens！ On baking day； too！〃 she went on
grumbling and muttering。
〃Oh； thinkthink！〃 murmured Jeanne now in an agonised whisper；
her hot little hand grasping his so tightly that her nails were
driven into his flesh。 〃You must know something； that will
doanythingfor dear life's sake 。。。。 Armand！〃
His namein the tense excitement of this terrible momenthad
escaped her lips。
All in a flash of sudden intuition he understood what she wanted；
and even as the door of the boudoir was thrown violently open
Armandstill on his knees； but with one hand pressed to his
heart； the other stretched upwards to the ceiling in the most
approved dramatic style； was loudly declaiming：
〃Pour venger son honneur il perdit son amour；
Pour venger sa maitresse il a quitte le jour！〃
Whereupon Mademoiselle Lange feigned the most perfect impatience。
〃No； no； my good cousin；〃 she said with a pretty moue of disdain；
〃that will never do！ You must not thus emphasise the end of every
line； the verses should flow more evenly； as thus。。。。〃
Heron had paused at the door。 It was he who had thrown it
openhe who； followed by a couple of his sleuth…hounds； had
thought to find here the man denounced by de Batz as being one of
the followers of that irrepressible Scarlet Pimpernel。 The
obviously Parisian intonation of the man kneeling in front of
citizeness Lange in an attitude no ways suggestive of personal
admiration； and coolly reciting verses out of a play； had somewhat
taken him aback。
〃What does this mean？〃 he asked gruffly； striding forward into the
room and glaring first at mademoiselle； then at Armand。
Mademoiselle gave a little cry of surprise。
〃Why； if it isn't citizen Heron！〃 she cried； jumping up with a
dainty movement of coquetry and embarrassment。 〃Why did not Aunt
Marie announce you？ 。。。 It is indeed remiss of her； but she is so
ill…tempered on baking days I dare not even rebuke her。 Won't you
sit down； citizen Heron？ And you； cousin；〃 she added； looking
down airily on Armand； 〃I pray you maintain no longer that foolish
attitude。〃
The febrileness of her manner； the glow in her cheeks were easily
attributable to natural shyness in face of this unexpected visit。
Heron； completely bewildered by this little scene； which was so
unlike what he expected； and so unlike those to which he was
accustomed in the exercise of his horrible duties； was practically
speechless before the little lady who continued to prattle along
in a simple； unaffected manner。
〃Cousin；〃 she said to Armand； who in the meanwhile had risen to
his knees； 〃this is citizen Heron； of whom you have heard me
speak。 My cousin Belhomme；〃 she continued； once more turning to
Heron； 〃is fresh from the country； citizen。 He hails from
Orleans； where he has played leading parts in the tragedies of the
late citizen Corneille。 But； ah me！ I fear that he will find
Paris audiences vastly more critical than the good Orleanese。 Did
you hear him； citizen； declaiming those beautiful verses just now？
He was murdering them； say Iyes； murdering themthe gaby！〃
Then only did it seem as if she realised that there was something
amiss； that citizen Heron had come to visit her； not as an admirer
of her talent who would wish to pay his respects to a successful
actress； but as a person to be looked on with dread。
She gave a quaint； nervous little laugh； and murmured in the tones
of a frightened child：
〃La； citizen； how glum you look！ I thought you had come to
compliment me on my latest success。 I saw you at the theatre last
night； though you did not afterwards come to see me in the
green…room。 Why！ I had a regular ovation！ Look at my flowers！〃 she
added more gaily； pointing to several bouquets in vases about the
room。 〃Citizen Danton brought me the violets himself； and citizen
Santerre the narcissi； and that laurel wreathis it not
charming？that was a tribute from citizen Robespierre himself。〃
She was so artless； so simple； and so natural that Heron was
completely taken off his usual mental balance。 He had expected to
find the usual setting to the dramatic episodes which he was wont
to conductscreaming women； a man either at bay； sword in hand；
or hiding in a linen cupboard or up a chimney。
Now everything puzzled him。 De Batzhe was quite surehad spoken
of an Englishman； a follower of the Scarlet Pimpernel； every
thinking French patriot knew that all the followers of the Scarlet
Pimpernel were Englishmen with red hair and prominent teeth；
whereas this man。。。。
Armandwho deadly danger had primed in his improvised rolewas
striding up and down the room declaiming with ever…varying
intonations：
〃Joignez tous vos efforts contre un espoir si doux
Pour en venir a bout； c'est trop peu que de vous。〃
〃No！ no！〃 said mademoiselle impatiently； 〃you must not make that
ugly pause midway in the last line： 'pour en venir a bout； c'est
trop peu que de vous！'〃
She mimicked Armand's diction so quaintly； imitating his stride；
his awkward gesture； and his faulty phraseology with such funny
exaggeration that Heron laughed in spite of himself。
〃So that is a cousin from Orleans； is it？〃 he asked； throwing his
lanky body into an armchair； which creaked dismally under his
weight。
〃Yes！ a regular gabywhat？〃 she said archly。 〃Now； citizen Heron；
you must stay and take coffee with me。 Aunt Marie will be
bringing it in directly。 Hector；〃 she added； turning to Armand；
〃come down from the clouds and ask Aunt Marie to be quick。〃
This certainly was the first time in the whole of his experience
that Heron had been asked to stay and drink coffee with the quarry
he was hunting down。 Mademoiselle's innocent little ways； her
desire for the prolongation of his visit； further addled his
brain。 De Batz had undoubtedly spoken of an Englishman； and the
cousin from Orleans was certainly a Frenchman every inch of him。
Perhaps had the denunciation come from any one else but de Batz；
Heron might have acted and thought more circumspectly； but； of
course； the chief agent of the Committee of General Security was
more suspicious of the man from whom he took a heavy bribe than of
any one else in France。 The thought had suddenly crossed his mind
that mayhap de Batz had sent him on a fool's errand in order to
get him safely out of the way of the Temple prison at a given hour
of the day。
The thought took shape； crystallised； caused him to see a rapid
vision of de Batz sneaking into his lodgings and stealing his
keys； the guard being slack； careless； inattentive； allowing the
adventurer to pass barriers that should have been closed against
all comers。
Now Heron was sure of it； it was all a conspiracy invented by de
Batz。 He had forgotten all about his theories that a man under
arrest is always safer than a man that is free。 Had his brain
been quite normal； and not obsessed； as it always was now by
thoughts of the Dauphin's escape from prison； no doubt he would
have been more suspicious of Armand； but al