"At any rate," here interposed Madame la Marquise impatiently, "Laurent and I can vouch for the fact that the watch round the compounds is not over strict just now. We went past there last night. There were only a couple of sentries at the gates."
"Even so you will have to be careful, my good Leroux," added M. de Courson, "so as not to raise the alarm."
"No, we won't do that," rejoined Leroux. "We can deal with the sentry easily enough."
"And do you think that a couple of hundred men can march from the compound back to the works without being seen or heard."
"Oh, yes! if they are determined not to make a noise. It is not far to the factories. Less than a kilomètre. The roads are soft under foot. We'll be careful not to be seen or heard, you may be sure of that."
"And once you are all back at the works?" queried M. d'Aché.
"We'll just wait there, ready to let you in when you come," replied the man simply.
"What about arms?"
"There are thousands in the stores and in the cellars below the buildings! Enough to equip an army!"