ou are his accomplice."

"His accomplice, monseigneur! and of what crime?"

"Of the crime of high treason. Ah! the police have had their eyes on you
this long time, M. Buvat!"

"On me, monseigneur?"

"Yes, on you; under the pretext that they do not pay you your salary,
you entertain seditious proposals against the State."

"Oh! monseigneur, how can they say so?"

"Under the pretext of their not paying you your salary, you have been
making copies of incendiary documents for the last four days."

"Monseigneur, I only found it out yesterday; I do not understand
Spanish."

"You do understand it, monsieur?"

"I swear, monseigneur."

"I tell you you do understand it, and the proof is that there is not a
mistake in your copies. But that is not all."

"How, not all?"

"No, that is not all. Is this Spanish? Look, monsieur," and he read:

"'Nothing is more important than to make sure of the places in the
neighborhood of the Pyrenees, and the noblemen who reside in the
cantons.'"

"But, monseigneur, it was just by that that I made the discovery."

"M. Buvat, they have sent men to the galleys for less than you have
done."

"Monseigneur!"

"M. Buvat, men have been hanged who were less guilty than you."

"Monseigneur! monseigneur!"

"M. Buvat, they have been broken on the wheel."

"Mercy, monseigneur, mercy!"

"Mercy to a criminal like you, M. Buvat! I shall send you to the
Bastille, and Mademoiselle Bathilde to Saint Lazare."

"To Saint Lazare! Bathilde at Saint Lazare, monseigneur! Bathilde at
Saint Lazare! and who has the right to do that?"----"I, M. Buvat."

"No, monseigneur, you have not the right!" cried Buvat, who could fear
and suffer everything for himself, but who, at the thought of such
infamy, from a worm became a serpent. "Bathilde is not a daughter of the
people, monseigneur! Bathilde is a lady of noble birth, the daughter of
a man who saved the life of the regent, and when I represent to his
highness--"

"You will go first to the Bastille, M. Buvat," said Dubois, pulling the
bell so as nearly to break it, "and then we shall see about Mademoiselle
Bathilde."

"Monseigneur, what are you doing?"

"You will see." (The usher entered.) "An officer of police, and a
carriage."

"Monseigneur!" cried Buvat, "all that you wish--"

"Do as I have bid you," said Dubois.

The usher went out.

"Monseigneur!" said Buvat, joining his hands; "monseigneur, I will
obey."

"No, M. Buvat. Ah! you w