"He saw the Comte de Bonneville, disguised as a peasant, enter the château de Souday last night, and with the count was another little peasant, whom he thinks was a woman--"
"Go on, monsieur; I am all impatience," said the general, in the calmest tone.
"I mean to say that in my opinion the woman is no other than the one we have been told to look out for,--namely, the princess."
"There may be no doubt for you; there are a dozen doubts for me."
"Because I, too, have had some confidences."
"Then, after you left me I went on bargaining for oats."
"Next, the peasant who spoke to me asked for earnest-money; that was fair. I asked him for a receipt; that was fair, too. He wanted to go to a shop and write it. 'No,' I said. 'Here's a pencil; haven't you a scrap of paper about you? My hat will do for a table.' He tore off the back of a letter and gave me a receipt. There it is. Read it."
The sub-prefect took the paper, and read;--
"Received, of M. Jean-Louis Robier, the sum of fifty francs, on account, for thirty sacks of flour, which I engage to deliver to him May 28. F. TERRIEN. May 14, 1832."
"Well," said the sub-prefect, "I don't see any information there."
The paper which he held was one half of a page of letter paper torn through the middle. On the other side from that on which the receipt was written were these words:--
arquis ceived this instant the news her whom we are expecting. Beaufays, evening of 26th send officers of your division presented to Madame. your people in hand. respectfully, oux.
"The devil!" cried the sub-prefect; "that is nothing more nor less than a call to arms. It is easy enough to make out the rest."
"Nothing easier," said the general. Then he added, in a low voice, "Too easy, perhaps."
"Ah, _ça!_ didn't you tell me these people were sly and cautious? I call this, on the contrary, a bit of innocent carelessness which is amazing."
"Wait," said Dermoncourt; "that's not all."
"After parting with my seller of oats I met a beggar, half an idiot. I talked to him about the good God and the saints and the Virgin, about the buckwheat and the apple year (you observe that the apple-trees are in bloom), and I ended by asking him if he could not act as guide for us to Loroux, where, as you know, I am to make an inspection. 'I can't,' said my idiot, with a mischievous look. 'Why not?' I asked in the stupidest way I could. 'Because I am ordered to guide a lady and two gentlemen from Puy-Laurens to La Flocelière.'"