But a pretext must be found. M. de Choiseul, in the midst of some five or six hundred gaping peasants who surrounded him, summoned the postmaster. “Monsieur,” said he, “we are here for the purpose of escorting a treasure, but this treasure does not arrive. Do you know if any gold has been this last day or so to Metz?” “This morning,” replied the postmaster, “the diligence brought a hundred thousand crowns, and was escorted by two gendarmes.” If the postmaster had been prompted, he could not have spoken better. “It was Robin and me who escorted it,” cried a gendarme, hidden among the crowd. Then M. de Choiseul, turning to M. Goguelot, said, “Monsieur, the Ministry have preferred the ordinary mode of carriage. As a hundred thousand crowns have passed through here this morning, our further presence here is unnecessary. Trumpeter, sound boot and saddle, and we will be off.” The trumpeter obeyed. In a second, the hussars, who wished nothing better than to be off, were mounted. “Gentlemen of the hussars, march. Form by fours, and proceed at a foot pace.” And he and his forty men left Pont-de-Somme-Vesles at five punctually by his watch. The detachment was to have fallen upon Varennes. He took the by-road in order to avoid St. Menehould, but lost his way above Mofficourt. The little troop hesitated for a moment, when a horseman coming from Neuville saw the perplexity of M. de Choiseul, and finding that he was a Royalist and a gentleman, asked if he could be of any assistance to him. “Indeed you can,” replied M. de Choiseul. “You can conduct us to Varennes by the Chalade.” “Follow me, then,” cried the gentleman. And he placed himself at the head of the hussars. This gentleman was no other than M. de Malmy, and that is how it was that I met him on the Place Latry, between two officers whom I knew not—namely, M. de Choiseul and M. Goguelot. CHAPTER XXIX. STILL IN FLIGHT. There was therefore, no escort awaiting the King at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles when he arrived there. But if there was no escort, there were likewise no peasants. The road was clear; the King therefore changed horses without an obstacle, and started for St. Menehould. At St. Menehould, M. Dandoins awaited the King’s arrival with as much impatience as M. de Choiseul and M. Goguelot had; and about mid-day he set out with his lieutenant on the road to Châlons, in the hopes of seeing some sign of his arrival. This road is one long descent from St. Menehould to Châlons. They cast their eyes for a length of two leagues on a straight line, traced, as it were, by a pencil, between two rows of trees, with uncultivated green patches of country around them. Nothing was visible on the road. M. Dandoins and his lieutenant returned to St. Menehould. Two hours afterward they again strolled along that same road. To get to the barracks situated at the bottom of the Faubourg Fleurion, it was necessary to pass right through the town.