"
CHAPTER XIV.
A PLAN.
Cecile, impelled by some instinct, had said: "I know Pericard is
faithful."
Joe, now turning to the French boy, repeated these few words in his
best French:
"She says she knows you are faithful. We are in great danger--in
great danger from that bad man Anton. Will you hide us and not betray
us?"
To this appeal Cecile had added power by coming up and taking
Pericard's hand. He gave a look of devotion to his little princess,
nodded to Joe, and, bidding them all follow him, and quickly, left
the room.
Down the stairs he took the children, down, down, down! at last they
reached the cellars. The cellars, too, were full of human beings; but
interested in their own most varied pursuits and callings, they took
little notice of the children. They went through one set of cellars,
then through another, then through a third. At the third Pericard
stopped.
"You are safe here," he said. "These cellars have nothing to say to
our house. No one lives in them. They are to be let next week. They
are empty now. You will only have the company of the rats here. Don't
be afraid of them. If you don't fight them they won't come nigh you,
and, anyhow, Toby will keep 'em away. I'll be back when it grows
dark. Don't stir till I return. Anton shan't find you here. Little
Miss is right. Pericard will be faithful."
After having delivered this little speech in French, Pericard turned
a rusty key in a lock behind the children, then let himself out by an
underground passage directly into the street.
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