y. They were his; the stamps
were not canceled, but the flaps were slit. He turned them this way and
that, bewildered. He was convinced that he could in no way cope with
this man of curious industries, this man who seemed to have a key for
every lock, and whom nothing escaped. And the wise old Marshal had
permitted him to leave the kingdom without let or hindrance. Perhaps the
Marshal understood that Beauvais was a sort of powder train, and that
the farther he was away from the mine the better for all concerned.

"You are a great rascal," Maurice said finally.

"We will waive that point. The matter at present is, how much will it
take to buy your silence for the future?"

"And I am sorry I did not kill you when I had the chance," continued
Maurice, as if following a train of thought.

"We never realize how great the opportunity is till it has passed beyond
our reach. Well, how much?"

"I am not in need of money."

"To be sure; I forgot. But the archbishop could not have given you a
competence for life."

"I choked a few facts out of Kopf," said Maurice. "You will wear no
crown--that is, earthly."

"And your heavenly one is near at hand," rejoined Beauvais.

Maurice absently fingered a bayonet.

"You refuse this conciliation on my part?" asked Beauvais.

"Positively."

"Well, then, if anything happens to you, you will have only yourself to
blame. I will leave you to digest that suggestion. Your life hangs in
the balance. I will give you till to-morrow morning to make up your
mind."

"Go to the devil!"

"In that, I shall offer you the precedence." And Beauvais backed out;
backed out because Maurice had wrenched loose one of the bayonets.

Maurice flung the bayonet across the room, went back to his chair, and
tore his ill-fated letters into ribbons. When this was done he stared
moodily at the impromptu candlesticks, and tried to conceive the manner
in which Beauvais's threat would materialize.

When the troops returned to their watch, they found the prisoner in a
recumbent position, staring at the cracks in the floor, oblivious to
all else save his thoughts, which were by no means charitable or humane.
They resumed their game of cards. At length Maurice fell into a light
slumber. The next time he opened his eyes it was because of a peculiar
jar, which continued; a familiar, monotonous jar, such as the tread of
feet on the earth creates. Tramp, tramp, tramp; it was a large body
of men on the march. Soon