“Who dares say I accused Monsieur Barras?” hastily interrupted the maire, turning pale, for in his passion he had allowed his thoughts utterance, and he well knew what a terrible power the said Monsieur Barras wielded. “I did not speak of any one in particular; I knew you to have harboured enemies to your country. You cannot deny but that you knew that an English officer and one of his men were in this house, under the assumed names of De Tourville and Bompart, and also that Madame de Coulancourt had her son concealed here. Do not think that even Monsieur Barras’ power can shield culprits, against whom such charges can be fully proven.” “It will be time enough, Monsieur Gramont,” returned Jean Plessis, recovering his usual calmness, “to argue this point when Madame Coulancourt arrives in Paris; she will not shrink from investigation. At the same time, others will have to answer grave charges. Antoine Dubois” (the maire started) “declares that the man now lying wounded in your house was one of the party who, in the disguise of Chouans, attempted to rob me of important papers, and that his name is Vadier—Augustine Vadier, once a galley slave, afterwards one of the monster Robespierre’s diables.” “Where is that villain? Dubois,” furiously interrupted Bertram Gramont; “he shall pay dearly for his lies. It was only this morning that I turned the wretch from my house for insolence and drunkenness.” “He says, monsieur,” returned Jean Plessis, “that he was turned away because he demanded five hundred francs of this robber, Vadier, for inducing a girl in this house, called Dedan, to be a spy upon her mistress and all in the house.” Bertram Gramont was completely taken aback; he stamped with rage, only repeating— “I demand, as maire of this district, to know where is this cursed liar and villain?” “He is not far from Havre at this moment, monsieur,” said Jean Plessis. “I met him on the road, and he confessed the whole to me, and that Dedan was his accomplice. When I returned and taxed the girl, she burst into tears, and did not deny it. She, too, has left the house.” “I will not leave an inch of skin on that lying villain’s back,” said the maire, turning towards the door. “There is no use, Jean Plessis, in our bandying words; we know each other, we shall meet in Paris; and depend upon it, you have not triumphed over me, or accomplished your project yet. I shall not, of course, dispute Monsieur Barras’ and Monsieur Fouché’s right to grant Madame Coulancourt and her daughter, and yourself and family, safe conduct to Paris; but your passport does not extend to her son, Julian Arden! Ah! you start, the game is equal still, we shall see who wins;” and passing into the lower hall, he remained some minutes conversing with Sergeant Perrin; then mounting his horse, rode at a sharp pace from the château. Ten minutes afterwards, Sergeant Perrin and his men also left the château. CHAPTER XXXVII.