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"We must close his eyes," said Contenson, lifting Peyrade on to the bed. "We are doing a stupid thing," said Corentin. "Let us carry him into his own room. His daughter is half demented, and she will go quite mad when she sees that he is dead; she will fancy that she has killed him." Lydie, seeing them carry away her father, looked quite stupefied.
Peyrade, happy at having discerned Corentin's superior abilities, had started him in his career by preparing a success for him. And Corentin at that time was hardly five-and-twenty. Corentin, who had been retained as one of the generals of whom the Minister of Police is the High Constable, still held under the Duc de Rovigo the high position he had filled under the Duke of Otranto.
Suddenly a terrible cry escaped her breast; she ran for refuge into the arms of Corentin, and pressing herself against him with all her force, she exclaimed: "Save me! save me! It is he! the wretch! It is he who did it!" And, with her finger pointed at la Peyrade, she seemed to nail the miserable object of her terror to his place.
In that quarter, where I have enjoyed, I may say it, universal esteem for the last twenty-five years, I am called du Portail; but to you, if you will allow me, I shall now name myself Corentin." "Corentin!" cried la Peyrade, with terrified astonishment. "Yes, monsieur; and you see that in telling you that secret I lay my hand upon you, and enlist you. Corentin!
Still, Corentin had time to say: "That was all I wanted to know. Quai Malaquais," he shouted to the driver with diabolical mockery in his tone and expression. "I am done!" said Jacques Collin to himself. "They have got me. I must get ahead of them by sheer pace, and, above all, find out what they want of us."
"What, monseigneur?" "Death!" replied Talleyrand, in his fine, deep voice. "Adieu, my good friend." "That is the man," said the Marquis de Chargeboeuf entering the room after Corentin was dismissed; "but we have nearly killed the countess." "He is the only man I know capable of playing such a trick," replied the minister. "Monsieur le marquis, you are in danger of not succeeding in your mission.
Fouche had kept him in the ministry of the police when he himself left it, so as to still keep an eye and a finger in it. It was said that Corentin belonged to Fouche by some unavowed relationship, for he rewarded him lavishly after every service. Corentin had a friend in Peyrade, the old pupil of the last lieutenant of police; but he kept a good many of his secrets from him.
"I'll send Beau-Pied to let you know when to play your sabres. Try to meet the marquis yourself, and if you can manage to kill him, so that I sha'n't have to shoot him judicially, you shall be a lieutenant in a fortnight or my name's not Hulot." Gudin departed with a dozen soldiers. "Do you know what you have done?" said Corentin to Mademoiselle de Verneuil, in a low voice.
"For a moment I did doubt you, sir, and in my place perhaps you would have thought as I did, but on reflection I saw that I was unjust. I bring you more than you can give me; you had no interest in betraying me." The magistrate flashed a look at Corentin.
"Whom you basely abandoned," she said. "Nonsense; he is dead, forget him," replied Corentin. "Come, speak honestly to me; I have set you the example. Old Hulot is deeper than he looks; if you want to escape his vigilance, I can help you. Remember that he holds all the valleys and will instantly detect a rendezvous.
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