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deepened on his face。
〃I would if I dared； but I dare not。〃 Then； quite suddenly he became
angry。 It was as if in anger he sought support。 〃Don't you
understand that I dare not？ Would you have a poor man risk his life
for you？ What have you or yours ever done for me that you should ask
that？ You do not cross to…night in my ferry。 Understand that；
monsieur； and go at once … go before I remember that it may be
dangerous even to have talked to you and not give information。 Go！〃
He turned on his heel to reenter his cottage； and a wave of
hopelessness swept over Andre…Louis。
But in a second it was gone。 The man must be compelled； and he had
the means。 He bethought him of a pistol pressed upon him by Le
Chapelier at the moment of his leaving Rennes； a gift which at the
time he had almost disdained。 True； it was not loaded； and he had
no ammunition。 But how was Fresnel to know that？
He acted quickly。 As with his right hand he pulled it from his
pocket； with his left he caught the ferryman by the shoulder； and
swung him round。
〃What do you want now？〃 Fresnel demanded angrily。 〃Haven't I told
you that I。。。 〃
He broke off short。 The muzzle of the pistol was within a foot of
his eyes。
〃I want the key of the boat。 That is all； Fresnel。 And you can
either give it me at once； or I'll take it after I have burnt your
brains。 I should regret to kill you； but I shall not hesitate。 It
is your life against mine； Fresnel； and you'll not find it strange
that if one of us must die I prefer that it shall be you。〃
Fresnel dipped a hand into his pocket； and fetched thence a key。
He held it out to Andre…Louis in fingers that shook … more in anger
than in fear。
〃I yield to violence；〃 he said； showing his teeth like a snarling
dog。 〃But don't imagine that it will greatly profit you。〃
Andre…Louis took the key。 His pistol remained levelled。
〃You threaten me； I think；〃 he said。 〃It is not difficult to read
your threat。 The moment I am gone； you will run to inform against
me。 You will set the marechaussee on my heels to overtake me。〃
〃No； no！〃 cried the other。 He perceived his peril。 He read his
doom in the cold； sinister note on which Andre…Louis addressed him；
and grew afraid。 〃I swear to you； monsieur； that I have no such
intention。〃
〃I think I had better make quite sure of you。〃
〃0 my God！ Have mercy； monsieur！〃 The knave was in a palsy of
terror。 〃I mean you no harm … I swear to Heaven I mean you no harm。
I will not say a word。 I will not。。。 〃
〃I would rather depend upon your silence than your assurances。
Still； you shall have your chance。 I am a fool； perhaps； but I have
a reluctance to shed blood。 Go into the house； Fresnel。 Go； man。
I follow you。〃
In the shabby main room of that dwelling； Andre…Louis halted him
again。 〃Get me a length of rope；〃 he commanded； and was readily
obeyed。
Five minutes later Fresnel was securely bound to a chair； and
effectively silenced by a very uncomfortable gag improvised out of
a block of wood and a muffler。
On the threshold the departing Andre…Louis turned。
〃Good…night； Fresnel；〃 he said。 Fierce eyes glared mute hatred at
him。 〃It is unlikely that your ferry will be required again to…night。
But some one is sure to come to your relief quite early in the
morning。 Until then bear your discomfort with what fortitude you
can； remembering that you have brought it entirely upon yourself by
your uncharitableness。 If you spend the night considering that； the
lesson should not be lost upon you。 By morning you may even have
grown so charitable as not to know who it was that tied you up。
Good…night。〃
He stepped out and closed the door。
To unlock the ferry； and pull himself across the swift…running
waters； on which the faint moonlight was making a silver ripple；
were matters that engaged not more than six or seven minutes。 He
drove the nose of the boat through the decaying sedges that fringed
the southern bank of the stream； sprang ashore； and made the little
craft secure。 Then； missing the footpath in the dark； he struck
out across a sodden meadow in quest of the road。
BOOK II：
CHAPTER I
HE TRESPASSERS
Coming presently upon the Redon road； Andre…Louis； obeying instinct
rather than reason； turned his face to the south； and plodded
wearily and mechanically forward。 He had no clear idea of whither
he was going； or of whither he should go。 All that imported at the
moment was to put as great a distance as possible between Gavrillac
and himself。
He had a vague； half…formed notion of returning to Nantes； and
there； by employing the newly found weapon of his oratory； excite
the people into sheltering him as the first victim of the
persecution he had foreseen； and against which he had sworn them to
take up arms。 But the idea was one which he entertained merely as
an indefinite possibility upon which he felt no real impulse to act。
Meanwhile he chuckled at the thought of Fresnel as he had last seen
him； with his muffled face and glaring eyeballs。 〃For one who was
anything but a man of action；〃 he writes； 〃I felt that I had
acquitted myself none so badly。〃 It is a phrase that recurs at
intervals in his sketchy 〃Confessions。〃 Constantly is he reminding
you that he is a man of mental and not physical activities； and
apologizing when dire neccessity drives him into acts of violence。
I suspect this insistence upon his philosophic detachment … for
which I confess he had justification enough … to betray his
besetting vanity。
With increasing fatigue came depression and self…criticism。 He
had stupidly overshot his mark in insultingly denouncing M。 de
Lesdiguieres。 〃It is much better；〃 he says somewhere； 〃to be
wicked than to be stupid。 Most of this world's misery is the fruit
not as priests tell us of wickedness； but of stupidity。〃 And we
know that of all stupidities he considered anger the most deplorable。
Yet he had permitted himself to be angry with a creature like M。 de
Lesdiguieres … a lackey； a fribble； a nothing； despite his
potentialities for evil。 He could perfectly have discharged his
self…imposed mission without arousing the vindictive resentment of
the King's Lieutenant。
He beheld himself vaguely launched upon life with the riding…suit
in which he stood； a single louis d'or and a few pieces of silver
for all capital； and a knowledge of law which had been inadequate
to preserve him from the consequences of infringing it。
He had； in addition … but these things that were to be the real
salvation of him he did not reckon … his gift of laughter； sadly
repressed of late； and the philosophic outlook and mercurial
temperament which are the stock…in…trade of your adventurer in
all ages。
Meanwhile he tramped mechanically on through the night； until he
felt that he could tramp no more。 He had skirted the little
township of Guichen； and now within a half…mile of Guignen； and
with Gavrillac a good seven miles behind him； his legs refused to
carry him any farther。
He was midway across the vast common to the north of Guignen when
he came to a halt。 He had left the road； and taken heedlessly to
the footpath tha