"I shall reach Paris at two o'clock in the morning. Must I have the person for whom it is intended disturbed then?"
"Yes, at once. You will send him this." And Monsieur G—— scribbled a few words on his card, which he handed to d'Haumont.
"I suggested to Monsieur G—— that you should go to Paris by car, but he prefers you to take the train as you had arranged," said M. de la Boulays. "In point of fact, your journey to Paris must have no connection with Monsieur G——'s stay at my house."
"I understand, gentlemen. I will now take leave of you as I've only just about enough time to get to the station."
"Here's the letter," said Monsieur G——, holding out an envelope of medium size which bore neither name or address. But he uttered a name and said:
"Give it into his own hands."
Didier slipped the letter into the inside pocket of his jacket, which he buttoned closely over his chest.
He bowed to Monsieur G——, who shook him warmly by the hand, thanking him in words which would have made any other man proud. But the Nut's pride now lay only in his powers of endurance.
He set out without seeing Mlle. de la Boulays again. The station was some distance from the Château, and he was driven to it in a car attached to the Medical Service. The train was late and he had to wait an hour. He stepped into an empty compartment, but at the last moment a man opened the door and took a seat facing him. He was too obsessed by his thoughts to pay the least attention to the intruder.
The Nut was satisfied with himself. The fierce heart of the convict could beat with pride under the tunic of the soldier. Marvelous to say, not until that hour when he had made up his mind to flee from the path of happiness, had he dared to allow his thoughts to recur to the penal settlement. It was the first time that his mind could clearly and honestly and calmly revert to his past life.