"Chained, chained here!"
"As securely as with an iron cable."
"You—my jailer—wretch!"
"What would you have? According to the system of the prince, nothing more logical; he punishes crime by crime, accomplice by accomplice."
"Oh! rage! madness!"
"Oh! unfortunately, powerless rage, for, as long as I am not told, 'Jacques Ferrand is free to quit this house,' I will remain like your shadow. Listen, then: as well as you, I merit the scaffold. If I fail to execute the orders given to me, my head falls. You cannot, then, have a more incorruptible guardian. As for flying, both of us—impossible: we could not take a step outside of this house without falling into the hands of those who are watching it night and day."
"Death and fury, I know it!"
"Be resigned, then, for this flight is impossible; even should we succeed in escaping, it would only make our situation more precarious, for they would send the police in search of us. On the contrary, you in obeying, and I, in watching the accuracy of your obedience, we are certain of not having our throats cut. Once more, I say, let us be resigned."
"Do not exasperate me by this indifference, or—-"
"Or what? I do not fear you: I am on my guard, I am armed; and even if you were to find the poisoned dagger of Cecily to kill me—-"—"Be quiet!"