〃the most precious life； as you say； and one that must be saved at
all costs。〃
〃Yes；〃 said de Batz calmly； 〃but not by your friend the Scarlet
Pimpernel。〃
〃Why not？〃
Scarce were those two little words out of St。 Just's mouth than he
repented of them。 He bit his lip； and with a dark frown upon his
face he turned almost defiantly towards his friend。
But de Batz smiled with easy bonhomie。
〃Ah； friend Armand；〃 he said； 〃you were not cut out for diplomacy；
nor yet for intrigue。 So then；〃 he added more seriously； 〃that
gallant hero； the Scarlet Pimpernel； has hopes of rescuing our
young King from the clutches of Simon the cobbler and of the herd
of hyenas on the watch for his attenuated little corpse； eh？〃
〃I did not say that；〃 retorted St。 Just sullenly。
〃No。 But I say it。 Nay！ nay！ do not blame yourself； my
over…loyal young friend。 Could I； or any one else； doubt for a
moment that sooner or later your romantic hero would turn his
attention to the most pathetic sight in the whole of Europethe
child…martyr in the Temple prison？ The wonder were to me if the
Scarlet Pimpernel ignored our little King altogether for the sake
of his subjects。 No； no； do not think for a moment that you have
betrayed your friend's secret to me。 When I met you so luckily
today I guessed at once that you were here under the banner of the
enigmatical little red flower； and； thus guessing； I even went a
step further in my conjecture。 The Scarlet Pimpernel is in Paris
now in the hope of rescuing Louis XVII from the Temple prison。〃
〃If that is so； you must not only rejoice but should be able to
help。〃
〃And yet； my friend； I do neither the one now nor mean to do the
other in the future；〃 said de Batz placidly。 〃I happen to be a
Frenchman； you see。〃
〃What has that to do with such a question？〃
〃Everything； though you； Armand； despite that you are a Frenchman
too； do not look through my spectacles。 Louis XVII is King of
France； my good St。 Just； he must owe his freedom and his life to
us Frenchmen； and to no one else。〃
〃That is sheer madness； man；〃 retorted Armand。 〃Would you have the
child perish for the sake of your own selfish ideas？〃
〃You may call them selfish if you will； all patriotism is in a
measure selfish。 What does the rest of the world care if we are a
republic or a monarchy； an oligarchy or hopeless anarchy？ We work
for ourselves and to please ourselves； and I for one will not
brook foreign interference。〃
〃Yet you work with foreign money！〃
〃That is another matter。 I cannot get money in France； so I get
it where I can； but I can arrange for the escape of Louis XVII is
King of France； my good St。 Just； he must of France should belong
the honour and glory of having saved our King。〃
For the third time now St。 Just allowed the conversation to drop；
he was gazing wide…eyed； almost appalled at this impudent display
of well…nigh ferocious selfishness and vanity。 De Batz； smiling
and complacent； was leaning back in his chair； looking at his
young friend with perfect contentment expressed in every line of
his pock…marked face and in the very attitude of his well…fed
body。 It was easy enough now to understand the remarkable
immunity which this man was enjoying； despite the many foolhardy
plots which he hatched； and which had up to now invariably come to
naught。
A regular braggart and empty windbag； he had taken but one good
care； and that was of his own skin。 Unlike other less fortunate
Royalists of France； he neither fought in the country nor braved
dangers in town。 He played a safer gamecrossed the frontier and
constituted himself agent of Austria； he succeeded in gaining the
Emperor's money for the good of the Royalist cause； and for his
own most especial benefit。
Even a less astute man of the world than was Armand St。 Just would
easily have guessed that de Batz' desire to be the only instrument
in the rescue of the poor little Dauphin from the Temple was not
actuated by patriotism； but solely by greed。 Obviously there was
a rich reward waiting for him in Vienna the day that he brought
Louis XVII safely into Austrian territory； that reward he would
miss if a meddlesome Englishman interfered in this affair。 Whether
in this wrangle he risked the life of the child…King or not
mattered to him not at all。 It was de Batz who was to get the
reward； and whose welfare and prosperity mattered more than the
most precious life in Europe。
CHAPTER III
THE DEMON CHANCE
St。 Just would have given much to be back in his lonely squalid
lodgings now。 Too late did he realise how wise had been the
dictum which had warned him against making or renewing friendships
in France。
Men had changed with the times。 How terribly they had changed！
Personal safety had become a fetish with mosta goal so difficult
to attain that it had to be fought for and striven for； even at
the expense of humanity and of self…respect。
Selfishnessthe mere； cold…blooded insistence for self…advancement
ruled supreme。 De Batz； surfeited with foreign money； used it
firstly to ensure his own immunity； scattering it to right and left
to still the ambition of the Public Prosecutor or to satisfy the
greed of innumerable spies。
What was left over he used for the purpose of pitting the
bloodthirsty demagogues one against the other； making of the
National Assembly a gigantic bear…den； wherein wild beasts could
rend one another limb from limb。
In the meanwhile； what cared hehe said it himselfwhether
hundreds of innocent martyrs perished miserably and uselessly？
They were the necessary food whereby the Revolution was to be
satiated and de Batz' schemes enabled to mature。 The most
precious life in Europe even was only to be saved if its price
went to swell the pockets of de Batz； or to further his future
ambitions。
Times had indeed changed an entire nation。 St。 Just felt as
sickened with this self…seeking Royalist as he did with the savage
brutes who struck to right or left for their own delectation。 He
was meditating immediate flight back to his lodgings； with a hope
of finding there a word for him from the chiefa word to remind
him that men did live nowadays who had other aims besides their
own advancementother ideals besides the deification of self。
The curtain had descended on the first act； and traditionally； as
the works of M。 de Moliere demanded it； the three knocks were
heard again without any interval。 St。 Just rose ready with a
pretext for parting with his friend。 The curtain was being slowly
drawn up on the second act； and disclosed Alceste in wrathful
conversation with Celimene。
Alceste's opening speech is short。 Whilst the actor spoke it
Armand had his back to the stage； with hand outstretched； he was
murmuring what he hoped would prove a polite excuse for thus
leaving his amiable host while the entertainment had only just
begun。
De Batzvexed and impatienthad not by any means finished with
his friend yet。 He thought that his specious argumentsdelivered
with boundless convictionhad made some impression on the mind of
the young man。 That impression； however； he desired to deepen； and
whilst Armand was worrying his brain to find a plausible excuse
for going away； de Batz was racking his to find one for keeping
him here。
Then it was that the wayward demon Chance intervened。 Had St。 Just
risen but two minutes earlier； had his active mind suggested the
desired excuse more readily； who knows what unspeakable sorrow；
what heartrending misery； what terrible shame might have been
spared both him and those for whom he cared？ Those two minutes
did he but know itdecided the whole course of his future life。
The excuse hovered on his lips； de Batz reluctantly was preparing
to bid him good…bye； when Celimene； speaking common…place words
enough in answer to her quarrelsome lover； caused him to drop the
hand which he was holding out to his friend and to turn back towards
the stage。
It was an exquisite voice that had spokena voice mellow and
tender； with deep tones in it that betrayed latent power。 The
voice had caused Armand to look； the lips that spoke forged the
first tiny link of that chain which riveted him forever after to
the speaker。
It is difficult to say if such a thing really exists as love at
first sight。 Poets and romancists will have us believe that it
does； idealists swear by it as being the only true love worthy of
the name。
I do not know if I am prepared to admit their theory with regard
to Armand St。 Just。 Mlle。 Lange's exquisite voice certainly had
charmed him to the extent of making him forget his mistrust of de
Batz and his desire to get away。 Mechanically almost he sat down
again； and leaning both elbows on the edge of the box； he rested
his chin in his hand； and listened。 The words which the late M。
de Moliere puts into the mouth of Celimene are trite and flippant
enough； yet every time that Mlle。 Lange's lips moved Armand
watched her； entranced。
There； no doubt； the matter would have ended： a young man
fascinated by a pretty woman on the stage'tis a small matter；
and one from which there doth not often spring a weary trail of
tragic circumstances。 Armand； who had a passion for music； would
have worshipped at the shrine of Mlle。 Lange's perfect voice until
the curtain came down on the last act； had not his friend de Batz
seen the keen enchantment which the actress had produced on the
young enthusiast。
Now de Batz was a man who never allowed an opportunity to slip by；
if that opportunity led towards the furtherance of his own desires。
He did not want to lose sight of Armand just yet； and here the good
demon Chance had given him an opportunity for obtaining what he wanted。
He waited quietly until the fall of the curtain at the end of Act
II。； then； as Armand； with a sigh of delight； leaned back in his
chair； and closing his eyes appeared to be living the last
half…hour all over again； de Batz remarked with well…assumed
indifference：
〃Mlle。 Lange is a promising young actress。 Do you not think so；
my friend？〃
〃She has a perfect voiceit was exquisite melody to the ear；〃
replied Armand。 〃I was conscious of little else。〃
〃She is a beautiful wo