“What were you doing here?” cried Edmond. “Why did you come here?”
Honorine showed the letter they had received. Edmond instantly recognized Thélénie’s handwriting; she had not even tried to disguise it, feeling sure that her victims would carry the letter with them to the bottom of the river.
“Oh! that woman is a monster!” said Paul. “But for my good Ami, we should never have looked for you in this direction.”
“We had no sooner received the note,” continued Honorine, “than Agathe and I left the house in haste. When we reached the bank of the river, we saw a man sitting beside a boat; we thanked heaven for the chance, we ran to the man and offered him whatever he chose, to take us to the first island above the mill. He agreed. We got into the boat and he rowed for some time in the direction we had indicated; then, all of a sudden, we saw him take his oars out of the rowlocks, throw them overboard, and jump over after them. We were utterly unable to understand such behavior, but we soon saw that we had stepped into a trap. The man swam ashore; but we, abandoned in our boat, without oars, and driven constantly nearer and nearer to a place where the danger was extreme, were at the point of death when you came to our assistance.”
“But without Freluchon all our efforts would have gone for nothing.—By what miracle did you find this boat?”
“The miracle is easily explained: while you were swimming, I searched the bank, saying to myself that it wasn’t possible that there was not a boat to be found on the banks of a river; that it would be like finding no cabs at a cabstand. At last I saw one; there was no driver, but I didn’t care for that. It was fastened to a stake by a chain and padlock, but I said to myself: ‘We’ll see about this; now’s the time to be strong!’—Faith, I broke everything, chain and padlock and stake—but I got the boat!”
Edmond and Paul embraced Freluchon. The young women kissed him, whereupon he exclaimed:
“My word! it’s very pleasant to be strong!—But I no longer hear Ami’s voice. Look, there he is on the other bank; he is pointing at something in front of him.”
“Yes, something that doesn’t move. It is your pretended boatman, mesdames, whom Ami has compelled to drown himself; then I presume he went into the water for him and took him ashore. Let us spare the ladies that shocking sight; let us put them ashore on this side; then I will go across and identify the fellow.”
The boat grounded near the bridge.