"You are not at the end yet. The prince knows, through Badinot, that your man of straw, Petit Jean, was only a name borrowed by you for the purpose of making the usurious loans to the Viscount de Saint Rémy. The sums which Saint Rémy repaid you were loaned to him by a great lady; probably another restitution awaits you: but it stands adjourned. Doubtless because it is a more delicate affair." "Chained, chained here!" "As securely as with an iron cable." "You--my jailer--wretch!" "What would you have? According to the system of the prince, nothing more logical; he punishes crime by crime, accomplice by accomplice." "Oh! rage! madness!" "Oh! unfortunately, powerless rage, for, as long as I am not told, 'Jacques Ferrand is free to quit this house,' I will remain like your shadow. Listen, then: as well as you, I merit the scaffold. If I fail to execute the orders given to me, my head falls. You cannot, then, have a more incorruptible guardian. As for flying, both of us--impossible: we could not take a step outside of this house without falling into the hands of those who are watching it night and day." "Death and fury, I know it!" "Be resigned, then, for this flight is impossible; even should we succeed in escaping, it would only make our situation more precarious, for they would send the police in search of us. On the contrary, you in obeying, and I, in watching the accuracy of your obedience, we are certain of not having our throats cut. Once more, I say, let us be resigned." "Do not exasperate me by this indifference, or---" "Or what? I do not fear you: I am on my guard, I am armed; and even if you were to find the poisoned dagger of Cecily to kill me---"--"Be quiet!" "It would be of no use; you know that every two hours I am obliged to give a bulletin of your precious health, an indirect way of hearing from us both. On not seeing me appear, they will suspect you of the murder; you will be arrested. And--But hold. I do you an injury in supposing you capable of this crime. You have sacrificed a million to save your life, and you would not risk your head for the foolish and fruitless vengeance of killing me! Come, come, you are not fool enough for that." "It is because you know I cannot kill you that you increase my torments by your sarcasms." "Your position is so original, you do not see it yourself; but, on my honor, it is enjoyable!" "Oh, misfortune! misfortune irretrievable! On whatever side I turn, it is death! And what I most dread now is destruction! Curses on myself, on you, on the whole world!" "Your misanthropy is more extensive than your philanthropy! The former embraces the whole world; the latter but one of the wards of Paris." "Go on--rail, monster!" "Would you prefer that I should crush you with reproaches?" "Whose fault is it that we are reduced to this position?"