him."

"Wretch! I do not seek his life," replied Sarah to the Schoolmaster.

"What, then, would you have?"

"Come to-morrow to the plain of St. Denis; you will there find my
companion," she replied; "you will see that he is alone, and he will
tell you what to do. I will not give you one thousand, but two thousand,
francs, if you succeed."

"_Fourline_," said the Chouette, in a low tone, to the Schoolmaster,
"there's 'blunt' to be had; these are a 'swell' lot, who want to be
revenged on an enemy, and that enemy is the beggar that you wished to
'floor.' Let's go and meet him. I would go, if I were you. Fire and
smoke! Old boy, it will pay for looking after."

"Well, my wife shall be there," said the Schoolmaster; "you will tell
her what you want, and I shall see--"

"Be it so; to-morrow at one."

"At one o'clock."

"In the plain of St. Denis?"

"In the plain of St. Denis."

"Between St. Ouen and the road of La Revolte, at the end of the road?"

"Agreed."

"I will bring your pocketbook."

"And you shall have the five hundred francs I promised you, and we will
agree in the other matter, if you are reasonable."

"Now, you go to the right, and we to the left hand. Do not follow us, or
else--"

The Schoolmaster and the Chouette hurried off, whilst Tom and the
countess went in the other direction, towards Notre Dame.

A concealed witness had been present at this transaction; it was the
Chourineur, who had entered the cellars of the house to get shelter from
the rain. The proposal which Sarah made to the brigand respecting
Rodolph deeply interested the Chourineur, who, alarmed for the perils
which appeared about to beset his new friend, regretted that he could
not warn him of them. Perhaps his detestation of the Schoolmaster and
the Chouette might have something to do with this feeling.

The Chourineur resolved to inform Rodolph of the danger which threatened
him; but how? He had forgotten the address of the self-styled
fan-painter. Perhaps Rodolph would never again come to the
_tapis-franc_, and then how could he warn him? Whilst he was conning all
this over in his mind, the Chourineur had mechanically followed Tom and
Sarah, and saw them get into a coach which awaited them near Notre Dame.

The _fiacre_ started. The Chourineur got up behind, and at one o'clock
it stopped on the Boulevard de l'Observatoire, and Thomas and Sarah went
down a narrow entrance, which was close at hand. The night was pitch
da