"'Oh, no,' said I. 'Mama, it is the 10th Thermidor.'
"'That is better,' said our thief. 'Let us move on.'
"The quarry road opened into a lane, and here were market-gardens and rare houses, and a deserted convent or two, and a network of crossways through which François directed the Duke, who walked ahead, as if under arrest. We followed them anxiously beneath the ruddy evening sky, wondering, as we went, to see scarce a soul. The Rue d'Enfer was the first street we came upon as we left the suburban lanes; but still it, too, was deserted. The Duke remarked on this singular absence of people; but as we were now near a small cabaret François called out, 'Get along, aristocrat.' The Duke said some wicked words, and we went on. A man came out of the café and cried after us: 'Family of the guillotine! À bas les aristocrats!' and would François have a petit verre? But our thief said no, he was on duty, and our comedy went on.
"It was necessary to pass the Barriere d'Enfer, where usually was a guard and close scrutiny. To our surprise, there were but two men. One of them said. 'Ah, Citizen, what have you here?'
"'Aristocrats under arrest—a ci-devant duke.'
"'Have an eye to these,' said the officer to his fellow; 'and you, Citizen, come into the guardroom and register their names.' 'Certainly,' said the thief, and we were set aside while he passed into the room with the guard. After some ten minutes he came out alone very quietly, and said to the other guard, 'It is all correct and in order, Citizen,' waited to tease a black cat on the door-step, asked the hour, and at last, giving the Duke a rude push, cried out, 'Get on there, aristocrat! I have no time to waste.'
"At this we moved away, and he hurried us along the Rue d'Enfer past the Observatory. A little further he struck hastily to the left into the Rue Notre Dame des Champs. By the Rue de Cimetière, along past the Nouvelle Foire St. Germain, he hurried us, and hardly gave us leave to breathe until we came out amongst the trampled gardens and tall alleys of box back of the Luxembourg. Never pausing, he wound in and out, until by these roundabout ways he came forth into the Rue Vaugirard. As we went across the great ruined gardens, a few people scattered among the parterres looked at us, as if curious, and whispered to one another. Our thief was still in great haste.
"'Must I get you a grand carriage to help you?' he cried. 'Get on, aristocrat! Soon the Republic will give you a carriage; come along. Make haste, or we are lost,' he added in a lower voice.
"'What the deuce is it?' said the Duke. The thief's uneasiness was visible enough.
"'Mille tonnerres! Duke,' said the thief; 'that child of Satan at the barrier knew me.'