The maid
stood still a few moments, then went into the chateau.
Completely mystified, I crossed the courtyard and called Blaise.
"M. de la Chatre is at Clochonne," I said, abruptly, as soon as he was
before me.
He stood still, returning my gaze. Presently he said:
"Do you think that he has learned where you are?"
"Through M. de Berquin?" I said, as if completing his question.
"Or any one else?" he said, in a low voice. "There was the boy who
disappeared, for instance."
"But he did not know our hiding-place when he left. He did not know how
near we then were to it. He did not then know that I was La Tournoire."
"But there was much talk of La Tournoire on the journey. Did you at any
time drop any hint of this place, and how it might be reached?"
"None that could have reached his ears. I told only Mlle. de Varion, and
we were quite alone when I did so."
Blaise looked at the ground in silence. After some time he gave a heavy
sigh, and, raising his eyes, said:
"Monsieur, I have been thinking of many things of late. Certain matters
have had a strange appearance. But,--well, perhaps my thoughts have been
absurd, and, in short, I have nothing to say about them except this,
monsieur, it is well to be on one's guard always against every one!"
I was about to ask him whether he meant that the boy Pierre had been
guilty of eavesdropping and treachery, and to reprove him for that
unworthy suspicion, when there was a noise at the gate.
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