Heron's precautions for the safe-guarding of the most precious life in Europe were more complete than he had anticipated.
What lavish liberality would be required! what superhuman ingenuity and boundless courage in order to break down all the barriers that had been set up round that young life that flickered inside this grim tower! Of these three requisites the corpulent, complacent intriguer possessed only the first in a considerable degree.

He could be exceedingly liberal with the foreign money which he had at his disposal.

As for courage and ingenuity, he believed that he possessed both, but these qualities had not served him in very good stead in the attempts which he had made at different times to rescue the unfortunate members of the Royal Family from prison.

His overwhelming egotism would not admit for a moment that in ingenuity and pluck the Scarlet Pimpernel and his English followers could outdo him, but he did wish to make quite sure that they would not interfere with him in the highly remunerative work of saving the Dauphin.
Heron's impatient call roused him from these meditations.

The little party had come to a halt outside a massive iron-studded door.
At a sign from the chief agent the soldiers stood at attention.