“Theaffairsoftheprovinceareatastandstill，“herepeated，“whileallmyenergiesarebentuponthisquest。ShouldwefailtohavenewsofhiscaptureinDauphiny，weneednot，nevertheless，despond。IhavesentmenafterhimalongthethreeroadsthatleadtoParis。Theyaretospareneithermoneynorhorsesinpickinguphistrailandeffectinghiscapture。Afterall，Ithinkweshallhavehim。”
“Heisouronlydangernow，“theMarquiseanswered，“forFlorimondisdead-ofthefever，“sheadded，withasneeringsmilewhichgaveTressansensationsasofcoldwateronhisspine。“ItwereanironyoffateifthatmiserablelackeyweretoreachParisnowandspoilthetriumphforwhichwehaveworkedsohard。”
“Itwere，indeed，“Tressanagreedwithher，“andwemustseethathedoesnot。”
“Butifhedoes，“shereturned，“thenwemuststandtogether。”Andwiththatshesethermindateaseoncemore，hermoodthatmorningbeingveryoptimistic。
“Always，Ihope，Clotilde，“heanswered，andhislittleeyesleeredupoutofthedimplesoffatinwhichtheywereembedded。“Ihavestoodbyyoulikeatruefriendinthisaffair；isitnotso？“