ing. Well, what is your idea?"

"Well, you see, Marat often goes out in the morning alone. He is
so well known and he is so much regarded by the lower class that
he has no fear of any assault being made upon him during the day.

"My plan is that we should follow him till he gets into some street
with few people about. Then I would rush upon him, seize him, and
draw a knife to strike, shouting, 'Die, villain!' You should be
a few paces behind, and should run up and strike the knife out of
my hand, managing at the same moment to tumble over Marat and fall
with him to the ground. That would give me time to bolt. I would
have a beard on, and would have my other clothes under the blouse.
I would rush into the first doorway and run up stairs, pull off
my beard, blouse, and blue pantaloons, and then walk quietly down.
You would, of course, rush up stairs and meet me on the way. I
should say I had just met a fellow running up stairs, and should
slip quietly off."

"It would be a frightful risk, Henri, frightful!"

"No, I think it could be managed easily enough. Then, of course,
Marat would be very grateful to you, and you could either get him
to visit your lodgings or could go up to his, and once you had
been there you could manage to outsit his last visitor at night,
and then we could do as we agreed."

"But, you know, we thought we should hardly have time in the morning,
Henri!"

"No, I have been thinking of that, and I have come to the conclusion
that our best plan would be to seize him and hold a dagger to his
heart, and threaten to kill him instantly if he did not accompany
us. Then we would go down with him into the street and walk arm in
arm with him to your lodging. We could thrust a ball of wood into
his mouth so that he could not call out even if he had the courage
to do so, which I don't think he would have if he were assured that
if he made the slightest sound we would kill him. Then we could
make him sign the order and leave him fastened up there. It would
be better to take him to your lodgings than mine, in case my visits
to Louise Moulin should have been noticed, and when he is released
there will be a hue and cry after his captors."

"The best plan will be to put a knife into his heart at once the
minute you have got the order signed," Victor said savagely; "I
should have no more hesitation in killing him than stamping on a
snake."

"No, Victor; the man is a monster, but we cannot kill him in cold
bl