"And why not both of us even if he come alone? Should one waste honor on dogs?" Here Giacinto interrupted, saying: "Did I not tell you it was a love affair? Behold the lady!" The Marquis de Brezé had just hurried to meet two new comers, a man of middle age and a young girl. Both wore shabby traveling garments and had the appearance of Irish peasants. But in spite of her clothes, the beautiful imperious face of the girl immediately excited admiration while the man's grace and dignity revealed the aristocrat. Giacinto grasped his friend's hand, and the other whispered: "How remarkable!" "What?" asked Giacinto. "The resemblance." "What resemblance?" "Why the man and girl are reproductions of the guillotined king and queen." "I have seen them only in pictures; but by the devil! they are indeed before us." The Carbonari gazed at each other in amazement. Chapter II THE TRAPPED FOX Naundorff and Amélie followed de Brezé toward the stairway and, in so doing, passed the two Carbonari, who, pretending absorption in their ale and salmon, did not raise their eyes. René led his friends to the chambers he had engaged for them and when the doors were closed, he threw himself upon his knees before the father exclaiming: "Forgive me!" "What is it, René?" "I have been robbed of your papers." Naundorff turned pale and fell against the wall. But quickly recovering himself, he said: "René, you have lost my name, but you first saved my life," and with simple dignity he drew the Marquis to his breast while Amélie trembled and dropped tears from her beautiful eyes. "And the manuscript?" "I have it with me." "How were you robbed of the box?" René explained. "That Count de Keller is my evil genius. He is none other than the Volpetti who under the alias 'Naundorff' bestowed that name upon me in Prussia. He represents the police who like a web envelop me. 'Twas the police that directed the blows from which you rescued me in London. And that police will now pursue you, René. I regret that we have undertaken this voyage, for how are we to succeed in this difficult undertaking, having lost my certificates of identity? Let us renounce the project and return, I to exile and you to your country. I am not safe in England; therefore I shall remove to Holland. In that land of liberty and justice, I may find the happiness I seek, the simple happiness of family life. René, I seem to hear again the words spoken to me in my dungeon: _Your friends shall perish_." René looked at Amélie. Her tears were dry and her lofty countenance expressed only resolution. His discouragement was swept away and he turned to the father, saying: "I shall never give up the fight. And what of the knave who robbed me? Is he to laugh in my face? Listen. Volpetti will soon be here. I also have become a spy. I have tracked him by pouring out torrents of money." "Bravo, my René!" said Amélie, giving him her hand.