“I beg your pardon, sir, there is something far preferable to that—that is, to take the first train back to Paris.” “And leave my father’s works exposed to the violence of his workmen?” “M. Baradier’s works are doubtless very precious, but not so precious as his son.” “Do not be uneasy, Baudoin; no one will harm either the son or the works. The deuce! Are there no laws in existence? The people of Ars are not savages.” “Neither are the people of Troyes, nor those of Sainte-Savine, savages, and yet, this very morning, they destroyed everything at the works of Messrs. Tirot and Malapeyre.” “Hard masters!” “The question is not whether they are hard or lenient masters, but simply whether they are masters at all. Your presence here, sir, is not absolutely necessary. It would be better if you would go and spend a week in Paris.” “They would say that I had run away. And old Cardez, who is none too fond of me, will say that I am good for nothing except making chemical experiments! That, when the works are to be defended, I am no longer to be found. No, no! Chance has brought me here, and chance will keep me. I shall even try to arrange everything for the general good.” “Then you will take all necessary precautions, sir?” “What precautions?” “A good revolver on your person, in the first place.” “What an idea! What would be the use of a revolver, Baudoin? If I have to deal with a crowd of men, I could not attempt to defend myself. With one or two men only, I shall run no danger.” “At any rate, if you have anything important here, sir, it might be useful to put it in safety.” They looked at one another in silence. Marcel had understood what the General’s servant meant. He became very serious. “You allude to the powders, I suppose, Baudoin?” “Yes, sir, I am aware that you possess the formulæ. Can nothing be stolen which would place the one who should be audacious enough to attempt the _coup_, in possession of the secret?” “The powders, even the formulæ might be stolen, Baudoin, without the secret being discovered. There is a peculiar trick of manipulation the General revealed to me, which alone constitutes the real value of the discovery.” “All the same, it was to obtain possession of the formulæ that my master was killed.” “No, Baudoin, he was killed because he refused to tell the proportions of the ingredients. It was madness at finding himself deceived that inspired the murderer’s arm. He imagined he could substitute his own for the genius of the inventor, and find out the mixtures himself. He wished to storm the mystery and brutalize science. It was then the General was struck.” “Is it not possible he may try again?” “Is he even alive? Come, Baudoin, are you attempting to discover some relation, however far-fetched, between these disturbances, which are putting the whole district in commotion, and this powder affair?”