"The day she is conducted from the Conciergerie to the scaffold."
"But why wait—why not to-night? this evening—this moment, even?"
"Because I cannot do so."
"Ah! you know you cannot; you well know you cannot!" cried the woman Tison; "but as for me, I can."
"What can you do?"
"I can persecute the prisoner, as you call her; I can watch the queen, as you term her, aristocrat that you are! and I can enter the prison any hour of the day or night. All this will I do. And as to her escaping, we shall see. Yes, we shall very well see—since they will not save my daughter—if that woman will escape. Head for head. Do you like that? Madame Veto has been queen; that I know. Héloïse Tison is only a poor girl; that I know. But under the guillotine we are all equal."
"Well, be it so," said the man in the mantle. "But you perform your part, and I will fulfil mine."
"Swear!"
"I swear it."