ble that Licquet, either directly or through an agent
like Perlet, in whom Le Chevalier had the greatest confidence, had had a
hand in this escape. As soon as the prisoner was free, as soon as Mme.
Acquet had given up all her secrets as the price of her lover's liberty,
it only remained to secure him again, and the means employed to gain
this end must have been somewhat discreditable, for in the reports sent
to the Emperor, who was daily informed of the progress of the affair,
things were manifestly misrepresented. The following facts cannot be
questioned: Le Chevalier had found in Paris "an impenetrable retreat
where he could boldly defy all the efforts of the police;" Fouche,
guessing at the feelings of the fugitive, issued a warrant against Mme.
Thiboust. By whom was Le Chevalier informed in his hiding-place of his
sister-in-law's arrest? It is here, evidently, that a third person
intervened. However that may be, the outlaw wrote to Fouche "offering to
show himself as soon as the woman who acted as a mother to his son
should be set at liberty." Fouche had Mme. Thiboust brought before him,
and gave her a safe conduct of eight days for Le Chevalier, with
positive and reiterated assurance that he would give him a passport for
England as soon as he should deliver himself up.

Mme. Thiboust returned home to the Rue des Martyrs, where Le Chevalier
came to see her; it was the evening of the 5th of January, 1808. He
covered his little son with kisses and put him in bed: the child always
remembered the caresses he received that evening. Mme. Thiboust, who did
not put much faith in Fouche's promises, begged her brother-in-law to
flee. "No, no," he replied; and later on she reported his answer thus:
"The minister has kept his promise in setting you at liberty and I must
keep mine--honour demands it; to hesitate would be weak, and to fail
would be a crime." On the morning of the 6th, persuaded--or pretending
to be--that Fouche was going to assist his crossing to England, he
embraced his child and sister-in-law.

"Come," he said, "it is Twelfth-Night, and it is a fine day; have a mass
said for us, and get breakfast ready. I shall be back in two hours."

Two hours later Inspector Pasque restored him to the Temple, and saw
that he was put "hands and feet in irons, in the most rigorous
seclusion, under the surveillance of a police agent who was not to leave
him day or night."

The same evening Fouche sent the Emperor a report whi