d him to take to England without delay, the wily Chouan did
not show himself. His daughter, who had set up as a dressmaker at Caen
and was in communication with Mme. Placene, undertook, however, to
forward the letter to him. The Captain announced his intention of
following the girl in the hope of discovering her father's retreat, but
Langelley and the others assured him that it would be a waste of time.
The young girl alone knew where the outlaw was hidden and "each time she
went to take him news, she disguised herself, entered a house, disguised
herself afresh before leaving, went into another house, changed her
costume yet again, and so on. It was impossible to be sure when she came
out of each house that it was the same person who had gone in, and to
know in which her father was." Two days later the girl reappeared. She
said that her father had gone to his own home near Cherbourg, where "he
had property." He wanted to sell his furniture and lease his land before
going to England. This was the other side of the terrible "General
Antonio." He was a good father and a small landed proprietor. Delaitre
realised that this was a defeat, and that Allain was not easily to be
beguiled. He did not persist, but packed up his traps and returned to
Rouen.

This check was all the more painful to Licquet, since he had hoped that
by attracting Allain, d'Ache would also be ensnared. Without the latter,
who was evidently the head of the conspiracy, only the inferiors could
be arraigned, and the part of the principal criminal would have to be
passed over in silence, in consequence of which the affair would sink to
the proportions of common highway robbery. Stimulated by these motives,
and still more so by his amour-propre, Licquet set out for Caen. His joy
in action was so keen that it pervades all his reports. He describes
himself as taking the coach with Delaitre, his nephew and "two or three
active henchmen." He is so sure of success that he discounts it in
advance: "I do not know," he writes to Real, "whether I am flattering
myself too much, but I am tempted to hope that the author will be called
for at the end of the play."

It is to be regretted that we have no details of this expedition. In
what costume did Licquet appear at Caen? What personality did he assume?
How did he carry out his manoeuvres between Mme. Acquet's friends, his
confederate Delaitre and the Prefect Caffarelli, without arousing any
one's suspicion or wounding