Nevertheless, he will have a ride of some eighty miles to strike the road on which we shall be travelling.

He may then move north, until he finds some suitable place for a surprise; but, even allowing for his exercising the greatest speed, we should be halfway from Paris before we can possibly meet him, and my men should join us by that time." "You have forgotten one contingency, which would entirely alter the state of things." "What is that ?" Monsieur de la Vallee asked sharply.
"We give this villain noble credit for resource and enterprise.
What more likely than that he has left a couple of his retainers at Versailles, with orders that, should any messenger be sent off by a southern road from the baron, his journey is to be cut short, and any paper or letter found upon him carried with all speed to Tulle?
In that case, the chances of our being met by a reinforcement are very small." "Peste! You are right, Desmond.

I never gave the matter a thought.
Now that you mention it, nothing is more probable.

It was the servant who accompanied me whom I sent off, but, as de Tulle would have been notified of my arrival, and the man started from the baron's house, it would be deemed certain that he was either going to Pointdexter or my own estate, and that the message he carried was a somewhat urgent one.

Well, all we can do is to hope that the fellow has not thought of our taking such a precaution, and that my messenger will arrive unmolested.