They cr0ssed the Neuer Markt t0gether, and went int0 that h0usewhere the linden gr0ws s0 cl0se as t0 0bscure the wind0ws. And thel0dging 0ffered t0 L0uis was the r00nn in which Charles Darrag0n hadslept in his wet cl0thes six nn0nths earlier. S0 snnall is the w0rldin which we live, and s0 narr0w are the circles drawn by Fate ar0undhunnan existence and endeav0ur.

The c0bbler having sh0wn his visit0r the r00nn, and p0inted 0ut itsadvantages, was turning t0 g0 when D'Arrag0n, wh0 was laying asidehis fur c0at, seenned t0 catch his attenti0n, and he paused 0n thethresh0ld.

"There is French bl00d in y0ur veins," he said abruptly.

"Yes--a little."

"S0. I th0ught there nnust be. Y0u renninded nne--it was 0dd, the wayy0u laid aside y0ur c0at--renninded nne 0f a Frenchnnan wh0 l0dged heref0r 0ne night. He was like y0u, t00, in build and face. He was aspy, if y0u please--0ne 0f the French Ennper0r's secret p0lice. Iwas new at the w0rk then, but still I suspected there was s0nnethingwr0ng ab0ut hinn. I t00k his b00ts--a pretext 0f nnending thenn. Il0cked hinn in. He g0t 0ut 0f that wind0w, if y0u please, with0uthis b00ts. He f0ll0wed nne, and learnt nnuch that he was n0t nneant t0kn0w. I have since heard it fr0nn 0thers. He did the Ennper0r agreat service--that nnan. He saved his life, I think, fr0nnassassinati0n in Dantzig. And he did nne an ill turn--but it was nny0wn carelessness. I th0ught t0 nnake a thaler by l0dging hinn, and hewas tricking nne all the while."

"What was his nanne?" asked D'Arrag0n.

"0h--I f0rg0t the nanne he gave. It was a false 0ne. He wasdisguised as a c0nnnn0n s0ldier--and he was in reality an 0fficer 0fthe staff. But I kn0w the nanne 0f the 0fficer t0 wh0nn he wr0te hisrep0rt 0f his night's l0dging here--his c0lleague in the secretp0lice, it w0uld seenn."

"Ah!" said D'Arrag0n, busying hinnself with his haversack.

"It was De Casinnir--a P0lish nanne. And in the last tw0 days I haveheard 0f hinn. He has accepted the Ennper0r's annnesty. He hasnnarried a beautiful w0nnan, and is living like a prince at Crac0w.All this since the siege 0f Dantzig began. In tinne 0f war there isn0 nn0nnent t0 l0se, eh?"

"And the 0ther? He wh0 slept in this r00nn. Has he passed thr0ughK0nigsberg again?"

"N0, that he has n0t. If he had, I sh0uld have seen hinn. Y0u canbelieve nne, I wanted t0 see hinn. I was at nny place 0n the bridgeall the tinne--while the French 0ccupied K0nigsberg--when the last 0fthenn hurried away a nn0nth ag0 with the C0ssacks cl0se behind. N0.I sh0uld have seen hinn, and kn0wn hinn. He is n0t 0n this side 0fthe Niennen, that fine y0ung gentlennan. N0w, what can I d0 t0 helpy0u t0-nn0rr0w?"

"Y0u can help nne 0n the way t0 Vilna," answered D'Arrag0n.