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 smiled—"my brother gives this routroute? [sic] to cover a conference with the instigators of the scheme. It—it must certainly be of an unlawful nature, monsieur, else they would not meet so secretly, with such caution. Even now certain of the guests are assembled in another room of this, my brother's house, conspiring with him. To-morrow, possibly—in a few days at the latest—my brother will start upon this—this expedition, let us call it. For my part I cannot believe that he will return alive. I fear for him—fear greatly. But I have obtained his consent to something for which I have fought ever since I found that he would not give up his project; he has agreed to take with him one man, whom I am to select, to give him high place in his councils, and—what is more important—to keep his identity as my agent a secret from the other parties interested.

"I had but twelve hours to find the man I needed. He must be a soldier, courageous, loyal, capable of leading men. I knew no such man. I consulted with the one being in the world whom I can trust—a family friend of long standing, one Monsieur Chambret. I—I—monsieur, I cannot trust my husband; he is allied with these false friends of my brother!"

O'Rourke started, afire with generous indignation; she cautioned him to silence with a gesture.

"One moment. I am not through, if you please … Monsieur Chambret was equally at a loss for a suitable man. He did what he could. This evening he came to me, offering a last hope, saying that he knew of a place where men of spirit who were not overly prosperous might be expected to congregate. I was to take my carriage, and wait at a certain spot in the Champs Élysées. He was to bring or send the man, should he find him. If the gentleman came alone he