“Nonsense! Do you think she’s going to put the police on the track of her father and Ralph?” said Josephine.
She sat up on one of the chairs and fell back again with a groan. Some minutes passed. At last with an effort which seemed to exhaust her she succeeded in standing upright, and resting on Dominique, went to Ralph.
“He’s insensible,” she murmured. “Guard him carefully, Leonard, and the other too. If one of them gets away, the game’s up.”
She went away slowly. Leonard accompanied her to the old barouche and in a little while came back, after padlocking the gate. He brought with him a parcel containing food. Then they heard the sound of hoofs on the stony road.
Ralph had already discovered that he was securely bound. He said to himself: “The chief is growing rather feeble. Firstly in talking about the steps she proposes to take before witnesses; secondly in entrusting stout fellows like Beaumagnan and me to the care of a single man. Those are mistakes which prove that she’s in a bad state of health.”
All the same it was true that Leonard’s experience would render any attempt to escape uncommonly difficult.
“Leave those ropes alone,” he said to Ralph as he entered. “If you don’t I’ll plug you on the jaw.”
This formidable jailor took every precaution to make his task easy. After running them through the back of a chair he tied together the ends of the two ropes which bound the prisoners. Then he propped the chair on two legs so that it would fall over easily, and on it he set the dagger that Josephine had given him. If one of the prisoners stirred the chair would fall over.
“You’re less stupid than you look,” said Ralph.
“Shut your mouth or I’ll plug you on the jaw,” said Leonard.