exhausted system would allow。 With a brutal gesture Heron shook
him by the shoulder。
〃He；〃 he shouted； 〃none of that； you know。 We have not settled
the matter of young Capet yet。〃
Then； as the prisoner made no movement； and the chief agent
indulged in one of his favourite volleys of oaths； Chauvelin
placed a peremptory hand on his colleague's shoulder。
〃I tell you； citizen； that this is no use；〃 he said firmly。
〃Unless you are prepared to give up all thoughts of finding Capet；
you must try and curb your temper； and try diplomacy where force
is sure to fail。〃
〃Diplomacy？〃 retorted the other with a sneer。 〃Bah！ it served you
well at Boulogne last autumn； did it not； citizen Chauvelin？〃
〃It has served me better now；〃 rejoined the other imperturbably。
〃You will own； citizen； that it is my diplomacy which has placed
within your reach the ultimate hope of finding Capet。〃
〃H'm！〃 muttered the other； 〃you advised us to starve the prisoner。
Are we any nearer to knowing his secret？〃
〃Yes。 By a fortnight of weariness； of exhaustion and of starvation；
you are nearer to it by the weakness of the man whom in his full
strength you could never hope to conquer。〃
〃But if the cursed Englishman won't speak； and in the meanwhile
dies on my hands〃
〃He won't do that if you will accede to his wish。 Give him some
good food now； and let him sleep till dawn。〃
〃And at dawn he'll defy me again。 I believe now that he has some
scheme in his mind； and means to play us a trick。〃
〃That； I imagine； is more than likely；〃 retorted Chauvelin dryly；
〃though；〃 he added with a contemptuous nod of the head directed at
the huddled…up figure of his once brilliant enemy； 〃neither mind
nor body seem to me to be in a sufficiently active state just now
for hatching plot or intrigue； but even ifvaguely floating
through his clouded mindthere has sprung some little scheme for
evasion； I give you my word； citizen Heron； that you can thwart
him completely； and gain all that you desire； if you will only
follow my advice。〃
There had always been a great amount of persuasive power in
citizen Chauvelin； ex…envoy of the revolutionary Government of
France at the Court of St。 James； and that same persuasive
eloquence did not fail now in its effect on the chief agent of the
Committee of General Security。 The latter was made of coarser
stuff than his more brilliant colleague。 Chauvelin was like a
wily and sleek panther that is furtive in its movements； that will
lure its prey； watch it； follow it with stealthy footsteps； and
only pounce on it when it is least wary； whilst Heron was more
like a raging bull that tosses its head in a blind； irresponsible
fashion； rushes at an obstacle without gauging its resisting
powers； and allows its victim to slip from beneath its weight
through the very clumsiness and brutality of its assault。
Still Chauvelin had two heavy black marks against himthose of
his failures at Calais and Boulogne。 Heron； rendered cautious
both by the deadly danger in which he stood and the sense of his
own incompetence to deal with the present situation； tried to
resist the other's authority as well as his persuasion。
〃Your advice was not of great use to citizen Collot last autumn at
Boulogne；〃 he said； and spat on the ground by way of expressing
both his independence and his contempt。
〃Still； citizen Heron；〃 retorted Chauvelin with unruffled patience；
〃it is the best advice that you are likely to get in the present
emergency。 You have eyes to see； have you not？ Look on your
prisoner at this moment。 Unless something is done； and at once；
too； he will be past negotiating with in the next twenty…four hours；
then what will follow？〃
He put his thin hand once more on his colleague's grubby
coat…sleeve； he drew him closer to himself away from the vicinity
of that huddled figure； that captive lion； wrapped in a torpid
somnolence that looked already so like the last long sleep。
〃What will follow； citizen Heron？〃 he reiterated； sinking his
voice to a whisper； 〃sooner or later some meddlesome busybody who
sits in the Assembly of the Convention will get wind that little
Capet is no longer in the Temple prison； that a pauper child was
substituted for him； and that you； citizen Heron； together with
the commissaries in charge； have thus been fooling the nation and
its representatives for over a fortnight。 What will follow then；
think you？〃
And he made an expressive gesture with his outstretched fingers
across his throat。
Heron found no other answer but blasphemy。
〃I'll make that cursed Englishman speak yet；〃 he said with a
fierce oath。
〃You cannot；〃 retorted Chauvelin decisively。 〃In his present
state he is incapable of it； even if he would； which also is
doubtful。〃
〃Ah！ then you do think that he still means to cheat us？〃
〃Yes； I do。 But I also know that he is no longer in a physical
state to do it。 No doubt he thinks that he is。 A man of that
type is sure to overvalue his own strength； but look at him；
citizen Heron。 Surely you must see that we have nothing to fear
from him now。〃
Heron now was like a voracious creature that has two victims lying
ready for his gluttonous jaws。 He was loath to let either of them
go。 He hated the very thought of seeing the Englishman being led
out of this narrow cell； where he had kept a watchful eye over him
night and day for a fortnight； satisfied that with every day；
every hour； the chances of escape became more improbable and more
rare； at the same time there was the possibility of the recapture
of little Capet； a possibility which made Heron's brain reel with
the delightful vista of it； and which might never come about if
the prisoner remained silent to the end。
〃I wish I were quite sure；〃 he said sullenly； 〃that you were body
and soul in accord with me。〃
〃I am in accord with you； citizen Heron；〃 rejoined the other
earnestly〃body and soul in accord with you。 Do you not believe
that I hate this manaye！ hate him with a hatred ten thousand
times more strong than yours？ I want his deathHeaven or hell
alone know how I long for thatbut what I long for most is his
lasting disgrace。 For that I have worked； citizen Heronfor that
I advised and helped you。 When first you captured this man you
wanted summarily to try him； to send him to the guillotine amidst
the joy of the populace of Paris； and crowned with a splendid halo
of martyrdom。 That man； citizen Heron； would have baffled you；
mocked you； and fooled you even on the steps of the scaffold。 In
the zenith of his strength and of insurmountable good luck you and
all your myrmidons and all the assembled guard of Paris would have
had no power over him。 The day that you led him out of this cell
in order to take him to trial or to the guillotine would have been
that of your hopeless discomfiture。 Having once walked out of
this cell hale； hearty and alert； be the escort round him ever so
strong； he never would have re…entered it again。 Of that I am as
convinced as that I am alive。 I know the man； you don't。 Mine
are not the only fingers through which he has slipped。 Ask
citizen Collot d'Herbois； ask Sergeant Bibot at the barrier of
Menilmontant； ask General Santerre and his guards。 They all have
a tale to tell。 Did I believe in God or the devil； I should also
believe that this man has supernatural powers and a host of demons
at his beck and call。〃
〃Yet you talk now of letting him walk out of this cell to…morrow？〃
〃He is a different man now； citizen Heron。 On my advice you
placed him on a regime that has counteracted the supernatural
power by simple physical exhaustion； and driven to the four winds
the host of demons who no doubt fled in the face of starvation。〃
〃If only I thought that the recapture of Capet was as vital to you
as it is to me；〃 said Heron； still unconvinced。
〃The capture of Capet is just as vital to me as it is to you；〃
rejoined Chauvelin earnestly； 〃if it is brought about through the
instrumentality of the Englishman。〃
He paused； looking intently on his colleague； whose shifty eyes
encountered his own。 Thus eye to eye the two men at last
understood one another。
〃Ah！〃 said Heron with a snort； 〃I think I understand。〃
〃I am sure that you do；〃 responded Chauvelin dryly。 〃The disgrace
of this cursed Scarlet Pimpernel and his League is as vital to me；
and more； as the capture of Capet is to you。 That is why I showed
you the way how to bring that meddlesome adventurer to his knees；
that is why I will help you now both to find Capet and with his
aid and to wreak what reprisals you like on him in the end。〃
Heron before he spoke again cast one more look on the prisoner。
The latter had not stirred； his face was hidden； but the hands；
emaciated； nerveless and waxen； like those of the dead； told a
more eloquent tale； mayhap； then than the eyes could do。 The
chief agent of the Committee of General Security walked
deliberately round the table until he stood once more close beside
the man from whom he longed with passionate ardour to wrest an
all…important secret。 With brutal； grimy hand he raised the head
that lay； sunken and inert； against the table； with callous eyes
he gazed attentively on the face that was then revealed to him； he
looked on the waxen flesh； the hollow eyes； the bloodless lips；
then he shrugged his wide shoulders； and with a laugh that surely
must have caused joy in hell； he allowed the wearied head to fall
back against the outstretched arms； and turned once again to his
colleague。
〃I think you are right； citizen Chauvelin；〃 he said； 〃there is not
much supernatural power here。 Let me hear your advice。〃
CHAPTER XXXVII
CHAUVELIN'S ADVICE
Citizen Chauvelin had drawn his colleague with him to the end of
the cell that was farthest away from the recess； and the table at
which the prisoner was sitting。
Here the noise and hubbub that went on constantly in the guard
room would effectually drown a whispered conversation。 Chauvelin
called to the sergeant to hand him a couple of chairs over the
barrier。 These he placed against the wall opposite the opening；
and beckoning Heron to sit down； he did likewise； placing himself
close to his colle