ly if you think there would be the slightest chance of
success."

"It would be like a lamb going to plead with a wolf. You would only
attract attention to them."

"Could you not get hold of one of these wretches and force him to
sign an order for their release?" Jeanne suggested.

"Eh!" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "Jeanne, you have the best
head of us all. That idea never occurred to me. Yes, that might be
possible. How stupid of me not to think of it!"

"Do not run into any danger, Harry," Marie said earnestly. "Such
a scheme could hardly succeed."

"I don't know, mademoiselle. I think it might. I will think it over.
Of course there are difficulties, but I do not see why it should
not succeed."

"Certainly it will succeed if Harry undertakes it," Jeanne said,
with implicit trust in his powers.

Harry laughed, and even Marie, anxious as she was, could not help
smiling.

"I will try and deserve your confidence, Jeanne; but I am not a
magician. But I will talk it over with"--and he hesitated--"with
a young fellow who is, like myself, a Royalist, and in disguise.
Luckily, we ran against each other the other day, and after a
little conversation discovered each other. He, too, has relatives
in prison, and will, I am sure, join me in any scheme I may undertake.
Two heads are better than one, and four are much better than two
when it comes to acting. And now I must say good-night. I hope
when I see you again I shall be able to tell you that I have formed
some sort of plan for their release."

CHAPTER VII

The 2d of September

Victor de Gisons was, as usual, waiting near the door when Harry
left Louise Moulin's.

"What is the news, Henri? Nothing suspicious, I hope? You are out
sooner than usual."

"Yes, for I have something to think of. Here have we been planning
in vain for the last fortnight to hit upon some scheme for getting
our friends out of prison, and Jeanne has pointed out a way which
you and I never thought of."

"What is that, Henri?"

"The simplest thing in the world, namely, that we should seize one
of the leaders of these villains and compel him to sign an order
for their release."

"That certainly seems possible," Victor said. "I wonder it never
occurred to either of us. But how is it to be done?"

"Ah, that is for us to think out! Jeanne has given us the idea, and
we should be stupid if we cannot invent the details. In the first
place we have got to settle which of them it h