A post of vast importance as aforesaid; so much so, in fact, that no
less a person than citizen Jean Paul Marat himself came to speak with
Bibot on that third day of Nivose in the year I of the Republic, with a
view to impressing upon him the necessity of keeping his eyes open, and
of suspecting every man, woman, and child indiscriminately until they
had proved themselves to be true patriots.

"Let no one slip through your fingers, citizen Bibot," Marat admonished
with grim earnestness. "That accursed Englishman is cunning and
resourceful, and his impudence surpasses that of the devil himself."

"He'd better try some of his impudence on me!" commented Bibot with a
sneer, "he'll soon find out that he no longer has a Ferney to deal with.
Take it from me, citizen Marat, that if a batch of aristocrats escape
out of Paris within the next few days, under the guidance of the d--d
Englishman, they will have to find some other way than the Porte
Montmartre."

"Well said, citizen!" commented Marat. "But be watchful to-night...to-
night especially. The Scarlet Pimpernel is rampant in Paris just now."

"How so?"

"The ci-devant Due and Duchesse de Montreux and the whole of their
brood--sisters, brothers, two or three children, a priest, and several
servants--a round dozen in all, have been condemned to death. The
guillotine for them to-morrow at daybreak! Would it could have been to-
night," added Marat, whilst a demoniacal leer contorted his face which
already exuded lust for blood from every pore. "Would it could have been
to-night. But the guillotine has been busy; over four hundred executions