He had gone several times into foreign lands to confer with Madame, and knew her personally. It was scarcely two months since he had last seen her, on which occasion after delivering to her Royal Highness the news from France, he had received her last instructions in return. It was he who had come into La Vendée to tell the adherents to hold themselves in readiness.
"Aha!" exclaimed the Marquis de Souday, with a motion of the lips which meant that he did not hold lawyers in cherished admiration, "M. le Commissaire-général Pascal."
"Who brings news, apparently," said Petit-Pierre, with the evident intention of drawing upon himself the attention of the new-comer. The latter, when he heard the voice, turned immediately to the young man, who made him an almost imperceptible sign with lips and eyes, which, however, sufficed to let him know what was expected of him.
"News? Yes," he said.
"Good or bad?" asked Louis Renaud.
"Mixed. But we'll begin with the good."
"Go on."
"Her Royal Highness has crossed the South successfully, and is now safe and sound in La Vendée."
"Are you sure of that?" asked the Marquis de Souday and Louis Renaud in one breath.
"As sure as that I see you all five here in good health," replied Pascal. "Now let us go to the other news."