“And madame?”
“Oh, that is quite a different affair.”
“She is worth two hundred louis,” said Beausire.
They laughed again, and this time Beausire began to understand this terrible laugh.
“Three hundred, four hundred, a thousand—see, I will give you one thousand louis to leave her at liberty!”
They did not answer.
“Is not that enough? Ah, you know I have money, and you want to make me pay. Well, I will give you two thousand louis; it will make both your fortunes!”
“For 100,000 crowns we would not give up this woman. M. de Rohan will give us 500,000 francs for her, and the queen 1,000,000. Now we must go. You doubtless have a carriage of some kind here; have it prepared for madame. We will take you also, for form’s sake; but on the way you can escape, and we will shut our eyes.”
Beausire replied, “Where she goes, I will go; I will never leave her.”
“Oh, so much the better; the more prisoners we bring M. de Crosne, the better he will be pleased.”