“He says, monsieur,” returned Jean Plessis, “that he was turned away because he demanded five hundred francs of this robber, Vadier, for inducing a girl in this house, called Dedan, to be a spy upon her mistress and all in the house.”
Bertram Gramont was completely taken aback; he stamped with rage, only repeating—
“I demand, as maire of this district, to know where is this cursed liar and villain?”
“He is not far from Havre at this moment, monsieur,” said Jean Plessis. “I met him on the road, and he confessed the whole to me, and that Dedan was his accomplice. When I returned and taxed the girl, she burst into tears, and did not deny it. She, too, has left the house.”
“I will not leave an inch of skin on that lying villain’s back,” said the maire, turning towards the door. “There is no use, Jean Plessis, in our bandying words; we know each other, we shall meet in Paris; and depend upon it, you have not triumphed over me, or accomplished your project yet. I shall not, of course, dispute Monsieur Barras’ and Monsieur Fouché’s right to grant Madame Coulancourt and her daughter, and yourself and family, safe conduct to Paris; but your passport does not extend to her son, Julian Arden! Ah! you start, the game is equal still, we shall see who wins;” and passing into the lower hall, he remained some minutes conversing with Sergeant Perrin; then mounting his horse, rode at a sharp pace from the château.
Ten minutes afterwards, Sergeant Perrin and his men also left the château.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Madame Coulancourt and Mabel beheld Monsieur Gramont ride down the avenue from the château with feelings difficult to describe.
“That horrid man,” said Mabel, “thought to terrify you, dear mother, into some compromise or promise, by acting on your feelings with respect to my brother’s safety. He stated a falsity when he said Julian was arrested. It’s impossible he could know anything about him; for Joseph assured us that he had crossed to the opposite side of the river before he left to return with the ponies.”