Come,
lose no time."
M. Lecoq, when he was left alone, listened to the departure of the
carriage which took M. Plantat and Laurence away; then he returned
to Tremorel's body.
"There," said he to himself, "lies a wretch whom I have killed
instead of arresting and delivering him up to justice. Have I done
my duty? No; but my conscience will not reproach me, because I have
acted rightly."
And running to the staircase, he called his men.
XXVIII
The day after Tremorel's death, old Bertaud and Guespin were set at
liberty, and received, the former four thousand francs to buy a boat
and new tackle, and the latter ten thousand francs, with a promise
of a like sum at the end of the year, if he would go and live in
his own province. Fifteen days later, to the great surprise of the
Orcival gossips, who had never learned the details of these events,
M. Plantat wedded Mlle. Laurence Courtois; and the groom and bride
departed that very evening for Italy, where it was announced they
would linger at least a year.
As for Papa Courtois, he has offered his beautiful domain at Orcival
for sale; he proposes to settle in the middle of France, and is on
the lookout for a commune in need of a good mayor.
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