s
striking twelve. The porter was not yet gone to bed. Eugenie approached
softly, and saw the old man sleeping soundly in an arm-chair in his
lodge. She returned to Louise, took up the portmanteau, which she had
placed for a moment on the ground, and they reached the archway under
the shadow of the wall.

Eugenie concealed Louise in an angle of the gateway, so that if the
porter chanced to awake he might see but one person. Then placing
herself in the full light of the lamp which lit the yard,--"Gate!" cried
she, with her finest contralto voice, and rapping at the window.

The porter got up as Eugenie expected, and even advanced some steps to
recognize the person who was going out, but seeing a young man striking
his boot impatiently with his riding-whip, he opened it immediately.
Louise slid through the half-open gate like a snake, and bounded lightly
forward. Eugenie, apparently calm, although in all probability her heart
beat somewhat faster than usual, went out in her turn. A porter was
passing and they gave him the portmanteau; then the two young girls,
having told him to take it to No. 36, Rue de la Victoire, walked behind
this man, whose presence comforted Louise. As for Eugenie, she was as
strong as a Judith or a Delilah. They arrived at the appointed spot.
Eugenie ordered the porter to put down the portmanteau, gave him some
pieces of money, and having rapped at the shutter sent him away. The
shutter where Eugenie had rapped was that of a little laundress, who
had been previously warned, and was not yet gone to bed. She opened the
door.

"Mademoiselle," said Eugenie, "let the porter get the post-chaise from
the coach-house, and fetch some post-horses from the hotel. Here are
five francs for his trouble."

"Indeed," said Louise, "I admire you, and I could almost say respect
you." The laundress looked on in astonishment, but as she had been
promised twenty louis, she made no remark.

In a quarter of an hour the porter returned with a post-boy and horses,
which were harnessed, and put in the post-chaise in a minute, while the
porter fastened the portmanteau on with the assistance of a cord and
strap. "Here is the passport," said the postilion, "which way are we
going, young gentleman?"

"To Fontainebleau," replied Eugenie with an almost masculine voice.

"What do you say?" said Louise.

"I am giving them the slip," said Eugenie; "this woman to whom we have
given twenty louis may betray us for forty; we w