power, and ended with advising us not to be too deeply concerned, but to laugh heartily at what had happened."

"Francœur, who was a little more reflecting than me, could not look forward to this last parting without pain. However, by dint of persuading him that we were in safety with my uncle, and that it would be easy to get into the country, or even to the frontiers, without the least risk, he retrieved his natural gaiety and waited undismayed for the events which were before us.

"About two hours after Belfort's departure, he returned, followed by one of his friends, and by Francœur's domestic. This last, who was no fool, and who sincerely loved his master, had been awakened by the noise of our escaping, and ran to the cabinet, in the apartment where we had left the guards and the officer. Un. derstanding from their being present the, nature of the danger from which we had

escaped, he directly conceived the project of saving whatever of value his master had left behind him; and said to the officer, that having reason to complain of his master's not paying him his wages he had resolved to quit him that very morning; and that he was so disposed towards him, that if he would give him only ten louis, he would undertake to apprehend him before noon. The officer, to whom the family of the deceased marquis had promised a large reward, replied without hesitation, "that if what he had said

was true, he would give him a hundred crowns when the thing was accomplished."

"Very well then," said the artful domestic, "since it is so, you shall not wait long to have his comrade too, who is 46 not a whit better than himself. Shut

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me up here--by double locking the "door you will be secure of my good "faith---and from this go you straight to "the Fauxbourg St. Antoine--- Rue de la

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205

Roquette, where, at the Chevalier Vilfort's, number 18, you will certainly find "them."--" How do you know that?" said the officer. "Why, this way," replied the servant---" the chamber where I sleep is near the stairs. I was leaving "it as they passed by, and I heard my "master's friend say to him as he ran--"Let us go to Vilfort's---we shall there be

secure." Satisfied with this explanation, the officer, who already imagined that he held the reward in his hand, examined the apartment to be assured whether it had more doors than one, and then went off with his men, fastening up the domestic under a double lock, and putting the key in his pocket.

"The review he had taken of the apartment, however, was not so exact as to detect a door which was concealed by a screen that folded before it."

CHAPTER XVI.

Conclusion of Sans-Chagrin's history.

"THE artful domestic, who knew that there was a door which led to a private stairs, had taken care to mark it well; and when he saw the officer and his bailiffs trotting off towards the Fauxbourg St. Antoine, which was at a vast distance from the Rue de Magdelaine where they left him, he set himself to work to gather up his master's gold and jewels, and shut up the whole in a little coffer. He made up, too, several other bundles of the most valuable articles, and successively carried them down by the private stairs, purposing to convey them thence, one after the other, to Belfort's, with whom he suspected Francœur and I would be. He was sallying out

with a casket of trinkets and cash, when Belfort and his friend came up to the door with a coach. He flew to them, recounted what had happened, and advised that one of them should enter the porter's lodge and there amuse him, while he himself would cram the other bun. dles into the carriage. The plan was executed with no less celerity than address, and our gentry arrived with our baggage, as I have said before, at the lodgings of Belfort.

"Francœur rewarded the fidelity of his domestic ás it deserved, and after having made him change his dress entirely, he sent him with Belfort and his friend to engage a carriage and horses to carry them to Bourdeaux, whither we had resolved to go. They were so diligent in their preparations, that on that very evening we got on the road under the conduct of Francœur's faithful valet.

gave me a hundred louis.

My uncle

Belfort

Belfort gave

me fifty. What Francœur saved from