“Oh, Valory!” cried a voice from the first; “is anything wrong?”
“No, madame; only a slight mistake.”
Then approaching the second carriage, “Pardon,” said he; “we have arrived at Varennes, and there is no relay.”
“How!—no relay? What is the reason of it?” replied a female voice.
“I know not; but I am very nervous about it.”
“Wake up, monsieur,” said the same voice, with an impatient gesture. “Do you not hear what M. Valory says?”
“What does he say?” replied a masculine voice.
“He says that we are at Varennes, and that there are no relays.”
“Has he asked?”
“For a quarter of an hour I knocked; for another quarter, I talked, I asked, and commanded fruitlessly.”