care to go out, do not let
me disturb you. Had you not better stay by the fire with Monsieur le
cure? For me, Heaven be thanked! I require no assistance. I will look
round the park, and come back presently to tell you what I think.
Besides, we shall have plenty of time to talk about it. With your
permission, I should like to stay two or three days."

"I shall be pleased if you will do so."

Derues went out, sufficiently uneasy in his mind, both on account of his
reception of Monsieur de Lamotte's fears and of the manner in which the
latter had watched him during the conversation. He walked quickly up and
down the park--

"I have been foolish, perhaps; I have lost twelve or fifteen days, and
delayed stupidly from fear of not foreseeing everything. But then, how
was I to imagine that this simple, easily deceived man would all at once
become suspicious? What a strange dream! If I had not been on my guard,
I might have been disconcerted. Come, come, I must try to disperse these
ideas and give him something else to think about."

He stopped, and after a few minutes consideration turned back towards the
house.

As soon as he had left the room, Monsieur de Lamotte had bent over
towards the cure, and had said--

"He did not show any emotion, did--he?"

"None whatever."

"He did not start when I spoke of the man armed with those two daggers?"

"No. But put aside these ideas; you must see they are mistaken."

"I did not tell everything, my father: this murderer whom I saw in my
dream--was Derues himself! I know as well as you that it must be a
delusion, I saw as well as you did that he remained quite calm, but, in
spite of myself, this terrible dream haunts me . . . .There, do not
listen to me, do not let me talk about it; it only makes me blush for
myself."

Whilst Derues remained at Buisson-Souef, Monsieur de Lamotte received
several letters from his wife, some from Paris, some from Versailles. She
remarked that her son and herself were perfectly well.... The writing
was so well imitated that no one could doubt their genuineness. However,
Monsieur de Lamotte's suspicions continually increased and he ended by
making the cure share his fears. He also refused to go with Derues to
Paris, in spite of the latter's entreaties. Derues, alarmed at the
coldness shown him, left Buisson-Souef, saying that he intended to take
possession about the middle of spring.

Monsieur de Lamotte was, in spite of hims