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〃He won't hold out much longer； citizen；〃 the chief agent was
saying in a confident voice； 〃our men are absolutely unremitting
in their task。 Two of them watch him night and day； they look
after him well； and practically never lose sight of him； but the
moment he tries to get any sleep one of them rushes into the cell
with a loud banging of bayonet and sabre； and noisy tread on the
flagstones； and shouts at the top of his voice： 'Now then；
aristo； where's the brat？ Tell us now； and you shall he down and
go to sleep。' I have done it myself all through one day just for
the pleasure of it。 It's a little tiring for you to have to shout
a good deal now； and sometimes give the cursed Englishman a good
shake…up。 He has had five days of it； and not one wink of sleep
during that timenot one single minute of restand he only gets
enough food to keep him alive。 I tell you he can't last。 Citizen
Chauvelin had a splendid idea there。 It will all come right in a
day or two。〃
〃H'm！〃 grunted the other sulkily； 〃those Englishmen are tough。〃
〃Yes！〃 retorted Heron with a grim laugh and a leer of savagery
that made his gaunt face look positively hideous〃you would have
given out after three days； friend de Batz； would you not？ And I
warned you； didn't I？ I told you if you tampered with the brat I
would make you cry in mercy to me for death。〃
〃And I warned you；〃 said the other imperturbably； 〃not to worry so
much about me； but to keep your eyes open for those cursed
Englishmen。〃
〃I am keeping my eyes open for you； nevertheless； my friend。 If I
thought you knew where the vermin's spawn was at this moment I
would〃
〃You would put me on the same rack that you or your precious
friend； Chauvelin； have devised for the Englishman。 But I don't
know where the lad is。 If I did I would not be in Paris。〃
〃I know that；〃 assented Heron with a sneer； 〃you would soon be
after the rewardover in Austria； what？but I have your
movements tracked day and night； my friend。 I dare say you are as
anxious as we are as to the whereabouts of the child。 Had he been
taken over the frontier you would have been the first to hear of
it； eh？ No；〃 he added confidently； and as if anxious to reassure
himself； 〃my firm belief is that the original idea of these
confounded Englishmen was to try and get the child over to
England； and that they alone know where he is。 I tell you it
won't be many days before that very withered Scarlet Pimpernel
will order his followers to give little Capet up to us。 Oh！ they
are hanging about Paris some of them； I know that； citizen
Chauvelin is convinced that the wife isn't very far away。 Give
her a sight of her husband now； say I； and she'll make the others
give the child up soon enough。〃
The man laughed like some hyena gloating over its prey。 Sir
Andrew nearly betrayed himself then。 He had to dig his nails into
his own flesh to prevent himself from springing then and there at
the throat of that wretch whose monstrous ingenuity had invented
torture for the fallen enemy far worse than any that the cruelties
of medieval Inquisitions had devised。
So they would not let him sleep！ A simple idea born in the brain
of a fiend。 Heron had spoken of Chauvelin as the originator of
the devilry； a man weakened deliberately day by day by insufficient
food； and the horrible process of denying him rest。 It seemed
inconceivable that human； sentient beings should have thought of
such a thing。 Perspiration stood up in beads on Sir Andrew's brow
when he thought of his friend； brought down by want of sleep to
what？ His physique was splendidly powerful； but could it stand
against such racking torment for long？ And the clear； the alert
mind； the scheming brain； the reckless daringhow soon would these
become enfeebled by the slow； steady torture of an utter want of rest？
Ffoulkes had to smother a cry of horror； which surely must have
drawn the attention of that fiend on himself had he not been so
engrossed in the enjoyment of his own devilry。 As it is； he ran
out of the stuffy eating…house； for he felt as if its fetid air
must choke him。
For an hour after that he wandered about the streets； not daring
to face Marguerite； lest his eyes betrayed some of the horror
which was shaking his very soul。
That was twenty…four hours ago。 To…day he had learnt little else。
It was generally known that the Englishman was in the Conciergerie
prison； that he was being closely watched； and that his trial
would come on within the next few days； but no one seemed to know
exactly when。 The public was getting restive； demanding that
trial and execution to which every one seemed to look forward as
to a holiday。 In the meanwhile the escape of the Dauphin had been
kept from the knowledge of the public； Heron and his gang； fearing
for their lives； had still hopes of extracting from the Englishman
the secret of the lad's hiding…place； and the means they employed
for arriving at this end was worthy of Lucifer and his host of
devils in hell。
From other fragments of conversation which Sir Andrew Ffoulkes had
gleaned that same evening； it seemed to him that in order to hide
their defalcations Heron and the four commissaries in charge of
little Capet had substituted a deaf and dumb child for the escaped
little prisoner。 This miserable small wreck of humanity was
reputed to be sick and kept in a darkened room； in bed； and was in
that condition exhibited to any member of the Convention who had
the right to see him。 A partition had been very hastily erected
in the inner room once occupied by the Simons； and the child was
kept behind that partition； and no one was allowed to come too
near to him。 Thus the fraud was succeeding fairly well。 Heron
and his accomplices only cared to save their skins； and the
wretched little substitute being really ill； they firmly hoped
that he would soon die； when no doubt they would bruit abroad the
news of the death of Capet； which would relieve them of further
responsibility。
That such ideas； such thoughts； such schemes should have
engendered in human minds it is almost impossible to conceive； and
yet we know from no less important a witness than Madame Simon
herself that the child who died in the Temple a few weeks later
was a poor little imbecile； a deaf and dumb child brought hither
from one of the asylums and left to die in peace。 There was
nobody but kindly Death to take him out of his misery； for the
giant intellect that had planned and carried out the rescue of the
uncrowned King of France； and which alone might have had the power
to save him too； was being broken on the rack of enforced
sleeplessness。
CHAPTER XXVI
THE BITTEREST FOE
That same evening Sir Andrew Ffoulkes； having announced his
intention of gleaning further news of Armand； if possible； went
out shortly after seven o'clock； promising to be home again about
nine。
Marguerite； on the other hand； had to make her friend a solemn
promise that she would try and eat some supper which the landlady
of these miserable apartments had agreed to prepare for her。 So
far they had been left in peaceful occupation of these squalid
lodgings in a tum