fifty men that were watching the
roads from France, and to spread them along the River Sambre, as far as
Liege, to seek information of the way taken by the fugitives. As soon
as any one of the parties struck the trail it was to send word to the
others, and start immediately in pursuit.

Now, had Charlot been permitted to spread such a net as this, the
Marquise must inevitably fall into it, and Caron had pledged his word
that she should have an open road to Prussia. With a map spread upon the
table he now expounded to the Captain how little necessity there was
for so elaborate a scheme. The nearest way to Prussia was by Charleroi,
Dinant, and Rochefort, into Luxembourg, and--he contended--it was not
only unlikely, but incredible, that the Marquise should choose any but
the shortest road to carry her out of Belgium, seeing the dangers that
must beset her until the frontiers of Luxembourg were passed.

"And so," argued La Boulaye, "why waste time in recalling your men?
Think of the captives you might miss by such an act! It were
infinitely better advised to assume that the fugitives have taken the
Charleroi-Dinant road, and to despatch, at once, say, half-a-dozen men
in pursuit."

Tardivet pondered the matter for some moments.

"Yom are right," he agreed at last. "If they have resolved to continue
their journey, a half-dozen men should suffice to recapture them. I will
despatch these at once..."

La Boulaye looked up at that.

"If they have resolved to continue their journey?" he echoed. "What else
should they have resolved?"

Tardivet stroked his reddish hair and smiled astutely.

"In organising a pursuit," said he, "the wise pursuer will always put
himself in the place of the fugitives, and seek to reason as they would
probably reason. Now, what more likely than that these ladies, or their
coachman, or that rascally ostler, should have thought of doubling back
into France? They might naturally argue that we; should never think of
pursuing them in that direction. Similarly placed, that is how I should
reason, and that is the course I should adopt, making for Prussia
through Lorraine. Perhaps I do their intelligences too much honour--yet,
to me, it seems such an obvious course."'

La Boulaye grew cold with apprehension. Yet impassively he asked:

"But what of your men who are guarding the frontiers?"

"Pooh! A detour might circumvent them. The Marquise might go as far
north as Roubaix or Comines, or as fair so