The joy of the Committee knew no bounds, when they learnt the news on leaving the hall of the Convention on the 8th Thermidor.
Billaud-Varennes, as can be imagined, was also overjoyed.
"We will have the three prisoners out of gaol, at once, and keep them here at hand."
Two orders of release had been immediately drafted, one for the prison of La Bourbe, the other for La Force.
Coulongeon had gone first of all to La Force to fetch Olivier, whom he conducted straight to the Tuileries and locked in a little chamber above the Committee-room under charge of a gendarme. But at the prison of La Bourbe he was too late; the two women had been taken away by Lebas, under an order of release from Robespierre.
On his return the police-agent had sought Billaud-Varennes to apprise him of the result of his errand, but finding that he was away until after the meeting of the Jacobins, he left a sealed note for him with full particulars.
Billaud received this on his return from the Jacobins accompanied by Collot d'Herbois.
"Out of three witnesses, only one is left to us!" he exclaimed on reading it. "The most important one, however! We have the man himself who insulted the traitor! We must cross-examine him directly. It will be amusing."
Robespierre just then appeared on the scene and hastened the examination by his violent outburst.
Billaud-Varennes began to cross-examine Olivier in the little chamber above the Committee-room. The young man knew nothing of the plot. Robespierre might have had an interview with Vaughan in the forest, this was very possible, but he, Olivier, had left just after the Englishman's arrival.