y agreed; "but it must be done somehow. Every
day matters grow more threatening, and those bands of scoundrels
from Marseilles have not been brought all this way for nothing.
The worst of it is, we have such a short time to act. Marat does
not seem to be ever alone from early morning until late at night.
Supposing we did somehow get the order of release from him at night
we could not present it till the morning, and before we could
present it some one might arrive and discover him fastened up, and
might take the news to the prison before we could get them out."

"Yes, that is very serious," Victor agreed. "I begin to despair,
Henri."

"We must not do that," Harry rejoined. "You see we thought it
impossible before till Jeanne gave us the idea. There must be some
way out of it if we could only hit upon it. Perhaps by to-morrow
morning an idea will occur to one of us. And there is another thing
to be thought of; we must procure disguises for them. It would be
of no use whatever getting them out unless we could conceal them
after they are freed. It would not do for them to go to Louise
Moulin's. She has three visitors already, and the arrival of more
to stay with her would be sure to excite talk among the neighbours.
The last orders are so strict about the punishment of anyone giving
shelter to enemies of the republic, that people who let rooms will
all be suspicious. The only plan will be to get them out of the city
at once. It will be difficult for them to make their way through
France on foot, for in every town and village there is the strictest
look-out kept for suspected persons. Still, that must be risked;
there is no other way."

"Yes, we must see about that to-morrow, Henri; but I do not think
the marquise could support a journey, for they would have to sleep
in the fields. Moreover, she will probably elect to stay near her
children until all can go together. Therefore I think that it will
be best for her to come either to you or me. We can take an additional
room, saying that our mother is coming up from the country to keep
house for us."

"Yes, that would be much the best plan, Victor. And now here we
are close home. I hope by the time we meet in the morning one of
us may have hit upon some plan or other for getting hold of this
scoundrel."

"I have hit upon an idea, Victor," Harry said when they met the
next morning.

"I am glad to hear it, for though I have lain awake all night I
could think of noth