was at Asnieres?"

"Yes, mother."

"Why didn't she stay and accompany us to Bras-Rouge's? I mistrust her."

"Bah! You mistrust everybody, mother; you are always fancying they are
going to play you some trick. To-day it is the Chouette, yesterday it
was Bras-Rouge."

"Bras-Rouge is at liberty,--my son is at Toulon, yet they committed the
same robbery."

"You are always saying this. Bras-Rouge escaped because he is as cunning
as a fox--that's it; the Chouette did not stay, because she had an
appointment at two o'clock, near the Observatory, with the tall man in
black, at whose desire she has carried off this young country girl, by
the help of the Schoolmaster and Tortillard; and Barbillon drove the
hackney-coach which the tall man in black had hired for the job. So how,
mother, do you suppose the Chouette would inform against us, when she
tells us the 'jobs' she has in hand, and we do not tell her ours? for
she knows nothing of this drowning job that is to come off directly. Be
easy, mother; wolves don't eat each other, and this will be a good day's
work; and when I recollect, too, that the jewel-matcher has often about
her twenty to thirty thousand francs' worth of diamonds in her bag, and
that, in less than two hours, we shall have her in Bras-Rouge's cellar!
Thirty thousand francs' worth of diamonds, mother! Think of that!"

"And, whilst we lay hands on this woman, Bras-Rouge is to remain outside
the cabaret?" inquired the widow, with an air of suspicion.

"Well, and where would you have him, I should like to know? If any one
comes to his house, mustn't he be outside the door to answer them, and
prevent them from entering the place whilst we are doing our 'job?'"

"Nicholas! Nicholas!" cried Calabash, at this moment from outside, "here
come the two women!"

"Quick, quick, mother! Your shawl! I will land you on the other side,
and that will be so much done," said Nicholas.

The widow had replaced her mourning head-dress with a high black cap, in
which she now made her appearance. At the instigation of Nicholas, she
wrapped herself in a large plaid shawl, with gray and white checks; and,
after having carefully closed and secured the kitchen door, she placed
the key behind one of the window-shutters on the ground-floor, and
followed her son, who was hastily pursuing his way to the landing-place.
Almost involuntarily, as she quitted the island, she cast a long and
meditative look at Martial's window; and the tra