enough for any man.

Meanwhile, the Judge, the senior official present, had learned exactly
what had happened, and he now addressed the General with a calm but
stern rebuke.

"Monsieur will not, I trust, oblige us to put in force the full power of
the law. I might, if I chose, and as I am fully entitled, commit you at
once to Mazas, to keep you in solitary confinement. Your conduct has
been deplorable, well calculated to traverse and impede justice. But I
am willing to believe that you were led away, not unnaturally, as a
gallant gentleman,--it is the characteristic of your nation, of your
cloth,--and that on more mature consideration you will acknowledge and
not repeat your error."

M. Beaumont le Hardi was a grave, florid, soft-voiced person, with a
bald head and a comfortably-lined white waistcoat; one who sought his
ends by persuasion, not force, but who had the instincts of a gentleman,
and little sympathy with the peremptory methods of his more inflammable
colleague.

"Oh, with all my heart, monsieur," said Sir Charles, cordially. "You
saw, or at least know, how this has occurred. I did not begin it, nor
was I the most to blame. But I was in the wrong, I admit. What do you
wish me to do now?"

"Give me your promise to abide by our rules,--they may be irksome, but
we think them necessary,--and hold no further converse with your
companions."

"Certainly, certainly, monsieur,--at least after I have said one word
more to Madame la Comtesse."

"No, no, I cannot permit even that--"

But Sir Charles, in spite of the warning finger held up by the Judge,
insisted upon crying out to her, as she was being led into the other
room:

"Courage, dear lady, courage. Don't let them bully you. You have nothing
to fear."

Any further defiance of authority was now prevented by her almost
forcible removal from the room.

CHAPTER VI

The stormy episode just ended had rather a disturbing effect on M.
Flocon, who could scarcely give his full attention to all the points,
old and new, that had now arisen in the investigation. But he would have
time to go over them at his leisure, while the work of interrogation was
undertaken by the Judge.

The latter had taken his seat at a small table, and just opposite was
his _greffier_, or clerk, who was to write down question and answer,
_verbatim_. A little to one side, with the light full on the face, the
witness was seated, bearing the scrutiny of three pairs of eyes--the
Judg