being presented to my partisans. Sir, I am at your
orders," added the adventurer, draping himself in a brown mantle which
he had found with his clothes.

The governor felt it his duty to accompany, as escort, De Chemerant and
the mysterious unknown to the mole; the flight of the Gascon was thus
rendered absolutely impossible.

At the moment of quitting the governor, Chemerant said to him, "Sir, I
will render to the king a full account of the efficient aid you have
given me. I can now say it to you, the secret has been perfectly kept."

"But, sir, may I know what were these indications?" cried the baron, so
poorly informed on what he was burning to know.

"You may be certain, baron," said Chemerant, cordially pressing his
hand, "that the king will know all--and it will not be my fault if you
are not rewarded as you deserve."

Thus saying, Chemerant gave the order to put off.

"If the king is to know all he will be much ahead of me," said the
baron, slowly returning to his house. "What I have learned from the
guards of the escort has only augmented my curiosity. It was hardly
worth the trouble to toil and moil, and stay on one's feet all night, to
be so badly informed of things of the greatest importance, taking place
in my own government!"

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE FRIGATE.

The moon threw a brilliant light over the waters of Fort Royal. The long
boat which bore Croustillac and his fortunes advanced rapidly toward the
Thunderer, which was anchored at the entrance of the bay.

The Gascon, enveloped in his mantle, occupied the place of honor in the
boat, which seemed to fly over the water.

"Sir," said he to Chemerant, "I wish to reflect ripely on the discourse
which it is my intention to address to my partisans; you comprehend--it
is necessary that I pronounce a sort of manifesto in which I disclose my
political principles; that I tell them my hopes in order to make them
partakers in them; that, in fine, I give them, in a manner, a plan of
campaign; now all this needs long elaboration. These are the bases of
our undertaking. It is necessary to disclose all to them--the
consequences of the alliance, or rather the moral, that is to say
material support which England lends us, or rather France--In short,"
said Croustillac, who began to be singularly mixed up in his politics,
"I do not wish to receive my partisans till to-morrow, in the morning. I
wish, even, that my arrival on board should be conducted as qu