inding
Monsieur Philip."

"Our old captain?"

"The same," answered Coursegol, at once recounting the events with which
the reader is already familiar. When the recital was ended, Bridoul
spoke in his turn.

"I am willing to swear that the captain is not in Paris. If he were, he,
like all the rest of the nobles, would have been in great danger; and in
peril, he would certainly have thought of his old soldier, Bridoul, for
he knows he can rely upon my devotion."

"Ah! you have not changed!" cried Coursegol, pressing his friend's hand.

"No, I have not changed. As you knew me so will you find me. But, my
good friend, we must be prudent. You did well to come to my house. You
and your daughter must remain here. You are relatives of mine; that is
understood. Later, we can make other arrangements; but this evening I
shall take you to the political club to which I belong. I will introduce
you as my brother-in-law, a brave patriot from the south."

"But what the devil shall I do at the club?" inquired Coursegol.

"What shall you do there? Why, you will howl with the wolves; that is
the only way to save yourself from being eaten by them!"

But Coursegol demurred.

"M. Bridoul is right," urged Dolores, timidly.

"Niece, you are wise to take your uncle's part," remarked Bridoul; "but
you must take care not to call me monsieur. That is more than enough to
send you to prison as times are now."

"Is everything a crime then?" cried Coursegol.

"Everything," answered Bridoul, "and the greatest crime of all would be
to remain at home while all good patriots are listening to the friends
of the people in the political meetings. You will be closely watched,
for we are surrounded by spies; and if any act of yours arouses the
slightest suspicion we shall all go to sleep on the straw in the
Conciergerie or the Abbaye, until we are sent to the block!"

Coursegol uttered a groan.

"Why do you sigh?" asked Bridoul. "All this does not prevent me from
doing a service to such as deserve it. On the contrary, I should be rich
if the number of thousand louis I possess equalled the number of lives I
have saved since the tenth of August!"

"Hush, husband!" said Madame Bridoul, quickly. "What if some one should
hear you!"

"Yes, yes, Cornelia, I will be prudent. Here we are all good patriots,
worthy sans-culottes, ever ready to cry: 'Vive la Nation!'"

As he spoke Bridoul returned to his shop, for several customers were
coming in.