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meeting again。 Hush…sh…sh； my beloved；〃 he said； tenderly placing
his thin hand over her mouth； from which a sharp cry of pain had
well…nigh escaped； 〃your exquisite soul will be with me always。
Trytry not to give way to despair。 Why！ your love alone； which I
see shining from your dear eyes； is enough to make a man cling to
life with all his might。 Tell me！ will you do as I ask you？〃
And she replied firmly and courageously：
〃I will do just what you ask； Percy。〃
〃God bless you for your courage； dear。 You will have need of it。〃
CHAPTER XXIX
FOR THE SAKE OF THAT HELPLESS INNOCENT
The next instant he was kneeling on the floor and his hands were
wandering over the small； irregular flagstones immediately
underneath the table。 Marguerite had risen to her feet； she
watched her husband with intent and puzzled eyes； she saw him
suddenly pass his slender fingers along a crevice between two
flagstones； then raise one of these slightly and from beneath it
extract a small bundle of papers； each carefully folded and
sealed。 Then he replaced the stone and once more rose to his
knees。
He gave a quick glance toward the doorway。 That corner of his
cell； the recess wherein stood the table； was invisible to any one
who had not actually crossed the threshold。 Reassured that his
movements could not have been and were not watched； he drew
Marguerite closer to him。
〃Dear heart；〃 he whispered； 〃I want to place these papers in your
care。 Look upon them as my last will and testament。 I succeeded
in fooling those brutes one day by pretending to be willing to
accede to their will。 They gave me pen and ink and paper and wax；
and I was to write out an order to my followers to bring the
Dauphin hither。 They left me in peace for one quarter of an hour；
which gave me time to write three lettersone for Armand and the
other two for Ffoulkes； and to hide them under the flooring of my
cell。 You see； dear； I knew that you would come and that I could
give them to you then。〃
He paused； and that； ghost of a smile once more hovered round his
lips。 He was thinking of that day when he had fooled Heron and
Chauvelin into the belief that their devilry had succeeded； and
that they had brought the reckless adventurer to his knees。 He
smiled at the recollection of their wrath when they knew that they
had been tricked； and after a quarter of an hour s anxious waiting
found a few sheets of paper scribbled over with incoherent words
or satirical verse； and the prisoner having apparently snatched
ten minutes' sleep； which seemingly had restored to him quite a
modicum of his strength。
But of this he told Marguerite nothing； nor of the insults and the
humiliation which he had had to bear in consequence of that trick。
He did not tell her that directly afterwards the order went forth
that the prisoner was to be kept on bread and water in the future；
nor that Chauvelin had stood by laughing and jeering while 。。。
No！ he did not tell her all that； the recollection of it all had
still the power to make him laugh； was it not all a part and
parcel of that great gamble for human lives wherein he had held
the winning cards himself for so long？
〃It is your turn now；〃 he had said even then to his bitter enemy。
〃Yes！〃 Chauvelin had replied； 〃our turn at last。 And you will not
bend my fine English gentleman； we'll break you yet； never fear。〃
It was the thought of it all； of that hand to hand； will to will；
spirit to spirit struggle that lighted up his haggard face even
now； gave him a fresh zest for life； a desire to combat and to
conquer in spite of all； in spite of the odds that had martyred
his body but left the mind； the will； the power still unconquered。
He was pressing one of the papers into her hand； holding her
fingers tightly in his； and compelling her gaze with the ardent
excitement of his own。
〃This first letter is for Ffoulkes；〃 he said。 〃It relates to the
final measures for the safety of the Dauphin。 They are my
instructions to those members of the League who are in or near
Paris at the present moment。 Ffoulkes； I know； must be with
youhe was not likely； God bless his loyalty； to let you come to
Paris alone。 Then give this letter to him； dear heart； at once；
to…night； and tell him that it is my express command that he and
the others shall act in minute accordance with my instructions。〃
〃But the Dauphin surely is safe now；〃 she urged。 〃Ffoulkes and the
others are here in order to help you。〃
〃To help me； dear heart？〃 he interposed earnestly。 〃God alone can
do that now； and such of my poor wits as these devils do not
succeed in crushing out of me within the next ten days。〃
Ten days！
〃I have waited a week； until this hour when I could place this
packet in your hands； another ten days should see the Dauphin out
of Franceafter that； we shall see。〃
〃Percy；〃 she exclaimed in an agony of horror； 〃you cannot endure
this another dayand live！〃
〃Nay！〃 he said in a tone that was almost insolent in its proud
defiance； 〃there is but little that a man cannot do an he sets his
mind to it。 For the rest； 'tis in God's hands！〃 he added more
gently。 〃Dear heart！ you swore that you would be brave。 The
Dauphin is still in France； and until he is out of it he will not
really be safe； his friends wanted to keep him inside the country。
God only knows what they still hope； had I been free I should not
have allowed him to remain so long； now those good people at
Mantes will yield to my letter and to Ffoulkes' earnest appeal
they will allow one of our League to convey the child safely out
of France； and I'll wait here until I know that he is safe。 If I
tried to get away now； and succeededwhy； Heaven help us！ the hue
and cry might turn against the child； and he might be captured
before I could get to him。 Dear heart！ dear； dear heart！ try to
understand。 The safety of that child is bound with mine honour；
but I swear to you； my sweet love； that the day on which I feel
that that safety is assured I will save mine own skinwhat there
is left of itif I can！〃
〃Percy！〃 she cried with a sudden outburst of passionate revolt；
〃you speak as if the safety of that child were of more moment than
your own。 Ten days！but； God in Heaven！ have you thought how I
shall live these ten days； whilst slowly； inch by inch； you give
your dear； your precious life for a forlorn cause？
〃I am very tough； m'dear；〃 he said lightly； 〃'tis not a question
of life。 I shall only be spending a few more very uncomfortable
days in this dd hole； but what of that？〃
Her eyes spoke the reply； her eyes veiled with tears； that
wandered with heart…breaking anxiety from the hollow circles round
his own to the lines of weariness about the firm lips and jaw。 He
laughed at her solicitude。
〃I can last out longer than these brutes have any idea of；〃 he
said gaily。
〃You cheat yourself； Percy；〃 she rejoined with quiet earnestness。
〃Every day that you spend immured between these walls； with that
ceaseless nerve…racking torment of sleeplessness which these
devils have devised for the breaking of your willevery day thus
spent diminishes your power of ultimately saving yourself。