"Now," said the man in gray, "how many men do you require to secure the Chevalier?"
"How many men?" said Lorin. "I hope Maurice and I are sufficient for that. Are we not, Maurice?"
"Yes," murmured the municipal, "we are certainly sufficient."
"Listen!" said the police agent; "no vain boasting. Do you mean to take him?"
"Zounds! Do we mean it?" said Lorin; "I should think so! We are bound to take him, are we not, Maurice?" Lorin laid a stress upon these words, for as he had truly said, suspicion began to settle upon them; and it was not wise to allow time for suspicion, which marched with such rapid strides at this epoch, to assume a firmer consistence, for Lorin well knew that no one would presume to doubt the stanch patriotism of any two men who had captured the Chevalier de Maison-Rouge.
"Well, then," said the police agent, "if you are in earnest, better take three men than two, and four than three, with you. The Chevalier invariably sleeps with pistols under his pillow, and his sword on a table by his side."
"Deuce take it!" said one of the gendarmes of Lorin's company. "Let us go in, without standing on ceremony who should enter first. If he resists, we will cut him to pieces; if he surrender, we will reserve him for the guillotine."
"Well said!" exclaimed Lorin; "do we go in by the door or the window?"
"By the door," said the agent of police; "it may be the key is in the lock, while if we enter by the window we must break some panes, and that would make a noise."