“Safer? You do not mean you are afraid of him, Jacques,” and look and tone and gesture were alike eloquent of indignant repudiation of the thought.
“Afraid of him? Indeed, no,” he replied stoutly, but with a timorous glance over his shoulder.
“If you were a coward, oh——” and her disgust was intense.
“I am no coward, but prudence is always valuable,” and in this way she plagued him till they reached the house, and as they entered the door they were met by Pascal.
Lucette gave a little cry of pretended alarm, and Dauban changed colour in alarm that was very far from pretence.
“Ah, you recognize me, I see,” said Pascal, with an ominous smile.
Dauban gazed at him a moment and then at Lucette, and in that moment the truth dawned upon him. He saw how he had been fooled, and with a cry of rage and despair, he raised his arm and rushed at Lucette to strike her. But Pascal caught his hand and thrust it back.
“Stay, little spy, stay. If you’ve a fancy for striking some one, strike me, not a girl.”
“So you are not a coward. Is this the proof?” asked Lucette. “Master Dauban has brought me to Malincourt, monsieur, in order that I may get a disguise for Mademoiselle de Malincourt, and then go with him to Crevasse to find the fugitives there and hand over M. Gerard and the monk to the soldiery after enabling miladi to escape. He will be able to get me out of the city with a permit which he has thoughtfully brought with him.”
Pascal laughed.