"But you said to yourself, 'General Pichegru is brave and he will understand that it requires a certain degree of courage to do what I am doing; perhaps he will not shoot me, though he may refuse; and then he will send me back to the prince with his refusal.'" "That is also true; but I hope that after having heard me--" "After having heard you there is just one case in which I shall have you shot; of that I warn you." "What is that?" "If you should put a price on my treason." "Or your devotion." "We will not discuss the words, but the thing. Are you disposed to answer all my questions?" "I am, general." "I am going to cross-examine you, I warn you." "Go on." Pichegru drew his pistols from his belt and laid one on either side of his plate. "General," said the pretended clerk, laughing, "I hope those are not your cards that you are laying on the table." "Have the goodness to put my pistols on the mantel-shelf, since you are nearer to it than I am," replied Pichegru, "they are not comfortable in my belt." And he pushed his pistols within the other's reach, who carried them to the mantel-shelf and returned to his seat. Pichegru bowed slightly and the other did the same. "Now," said Pichegru, "let us begin." "I am waiting." "What is your name?" "Fauche-Borel." "Where do you come from?" "Neuchâtel. Only my name might have been Fenouillot, and I might have come from Besançon, since I belong to a Franche-Comté family which did not leave until after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes." "In that case I should have recognized you for a fellow-countryman by the accent." "Excuse me, general, but how did you know that I was not a commercial traveller for champagne." "By the way you opened the bottles. Citizen, another time choose another character." "What one, for instance?" "A bookseller." "You know me, then?" "I have heard of you." "In what way?" "As an uncompromising enemy of the Republic, and the author of royalist pamphlets. Excuse me if I continue to question you." "Continue, general; I am at your service." "How did you become an agent for the Prince de Condé." "My name first attracted the attention of the Regent[3] in a royalist pamphlet of M. d'Antragues, entitled 'Memoirs of the Regency of Louis Stanislas Xavier, son of France, uncle of the King, and Regent of France.' He noticed it a second time when I induced the inhabitants of Neuchâtel to sign the Act of Union." [3] A title which Louis XVIII. bore while Louis XVII. lived. "And I know that from that time your house became the resort of the emigrants and the hotbed of the anti-revolutionists." "The Prince de Condé knew it also and sent a certain Montgaillard to know if I would join him." "Do you know that Montgaillard is an intriguer?" asked Pichegru. "I fear so," replied Fauche-Borel. "He serves the king under two names--Roques and Pinard."