"You thought I was giving way to the calls of the crowd?"
"It looked that way," replied the farmer.
"Did I not tell you that they would believe me just such a coward?" said Launay, turning round to his officers. "Who do you come from then?" he demanded of Billet.
"I come on behalf of the people," rejoined the visitor proudly.
"That is all very well," sneered Launay, smiling; "but you must have shown some other warrant, for otherwise you would not have passed the first dead-line of sentries."
"True, I have a pass from your friend Flesselles."
"Flesselles? why do you dub him my friend?" exclaimed the prison warden, looking at the speaker to read to the bottom of his mind. "How do you conclude that he is a friend of mine?"
"I supposed as much."
"Is that all? never mind. Let us see your safe-conduct."
Billet presented the paper which Launay read more than once in order to catch a hidden meaning or concealed lines; he even held it up to the light to see if there was secret writing.