the soldiers in batches of tens and twenties at a time
contrive to escape out of the town carrying their arms and in many cases
baggage with them. The royalist faction--the women as well as the
men--spend the whole day in and out of the barrack-rooms talking to the
men, trying to infuse into them loyalty to the King, and to cheer them
up by bringing them wine and provisions.

In the afternoon the Vicomte de St. Genis, sick, exhausted, his horse
covered with lather, comes back with the story of the pass of Laffray,
and Napoleon's triumphant march toward Grenoble. Marchand seriously
contemplates evacuating the city in order to save the garrison and his
stores.

Prefet Fourier congratulates himself on his foresight and on that he has
transferred the twenty-five million francs from the cellars of the Hotel
de Ville into the safe keeping of M. le Comte de Cambray. He and General
Marchand both hope and think that "the brigand and his horde" cannot
possibly be at the gates of Grenoble before the morrow, and that Mme. la
Duchesse d'Agen would be well on her way to Paris with the money by that
time.

Marchand in the meanwhile has made up his mind to retire from the city
with his troops. It is only a strategical measure, he argues, to save
bloodshed and to save his stores, pending the arrival of the Comte
d'Artois at Lyons, with the army corps. He gives the order for the
general retreat to commence at two o'clock in the morning.

Satisfied that he has done the right thing, he finally goes back to his
quarters in the Hotel du Dauphine close to the ramparts. The Comte de
Cambray is his guest at dinner, and toward seven o'clock the two men at
last sit down to a hurried meal, both their minds filled with
apprehension and not a little fear as to what the next few days will
bring.

"It is, of course, only a question of time," says the Comte de Cambray
airily. "Monseigneur le Comte d'Artois will be at Lyons directly with
forty thousand men, and he will easily crush that marauding band of
pirates. But this time the Corsican after his defeat must be put more
effectually out of harm's way. I, personally, was never much in favour
of Elba."

"The English have some islands out in the Atlantic or the Pacific,"
responds General Marchand with firm decision. "It would be safest to
shoot the brigand, but failing that, let the English send him to one of
those islands, and undertake to guard him well."

"Let us drink to that proposition, my