Purposeless to the end, ever adopting the course pointed out to him
by evil counsellors, he prepared for resistance only until the need
for resistance really arose, whereupon he ordered a surrender which
left those who had stood by him to the last at the mercy of a
frenzied mob.
And while this was happening in the Tuileries, the two women at the
Hotel Plougastel still waited for the return of Rougane, though now
with ever-lessening hope. And Rougane did not return. The affair
did not appear so simple to the father as to the son. Rougane the
elder was rightly afraid to lend himself to such a piece of
deception.
He went with his son to inform M. de Kercadiou of what had happened,
and told him frankly of the thing his son suggested, but which he
dared not do.
M. de Kercadiou sought to move him by intercessions and even by the
offer of bribes. But Rougane remained firm.
"Monsieur," he said, "if it were discovered against me, as it
inevitably would be, I should hang for it. Apart from that, and
in spite of my anxiety to do all in my power to serve you, it
would be a breach of trust such as I could not contemplate.
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