to kill people." Then, after walking up and down awhile very slowly,
he exclaimed suddenly, "Yes, the time has come, that woman shall be
mine! For five years I've been drawing the net round her, and I have
her now; with her, I can be a greater man in the government than Fouche
himself. Yes, if she loses the only man she has ever loved, grief will
give her to me, body and soul; but I must be on the watch night and
day."

A few moments later the pale face of this man might have been seen
through the window of a house, from which he could observe all who
entered the cul-de-sac formed by the line of houses running parallel
with Saint-Leonard, one of those houses being that now occupied by
Mademoiselle de Verneuil. With the patience of a cat watching a mouse
Corentin was there in the same place on the following morning, attentive
to the slightest noise, and subjecting the passers-by to the closest
examination. The day that was now beginning was a market-day. Although
in these calamitous times the peasants rarely risked themselves in
the towns, Corentin presently noticed a small man with a gloomy face,
wrapped in a goatskin, and carrying on his arm a small flat basket; he
was making his way in the direction of Mademoiselle de Verneuil's house,
casting careless glances about him. Corentin watched him enter the
house; then he ran down into the street, meaning to waylay the man as
he left; but on second thoughts it occurred to him that if he called
unexpectedly on Mademoiselle de Verneuil he might surprise by a single
glance the secret that was hidden in the basket of the emissary.
Besides, he had already learned that it was impossible to extract
anything from the inscrutable answers of Bretons and Normans.

"Galope-Chopine!" cried Mademoiselle de Verneuil, when Francine brought
the man to her. "Does he love me?" she murmured to herself, in a low
voice.

The instinctive hope sent a brilliant color to her cheeks and joy into
her heart. Galope-Chopine looked alternately from the mistress to the
maid with evident distrust of the latter; but a sign from Mademoiselle
de Verneuil reassured him.

"Madame," he said, "about two o'clock _he_ will be at my house waiting
for you."

Emotion prevented Mademoiselle de Verneuil from giving any other reply
than a movement of her head, but the man understood her meaning. At
that moment Corentin's step was heard in the adjoining room, but
Galope-Chopine showed no uneasiness, though Mademoise