to death. The 26th of December was the day fixed for the execution of
Lavalette, a man of high respectability and of great connections, whose
only fault was fidelity to his chief. On the evening of the 21st, Madame
Lavalette, accompanied by her daughter and her governess, Madame Dutoit,
a lady of seventy years of age, presented herself at the Conciergerie,
to take a last farewell of her husband. She arrived at the prison in
a sedan chair. On this very day the Procureur-general had given an
order that no one should be admitted without an order signed by himself;
the greffier having, however, on previous occasions been accustomed
to receive Madame Lavalette with the two ladies who now sought also
to enter the cell, did not object to it; so these three ladies proposed
to take coffee with Lavalette. The under gaoler was sent to a neighbouring
cafe to obtain it, and during his absence Lavalette exchanged dresses
with his wife. He managed to pass undetected out of the prison, accompanied
by his daughter, and entered the chair in which Madame Lavalette had
arrived; which, owing to the management of a faithful valet, had been
placed so that no observation could be made of the person entering it.
The bearers found the chair somewhat heavier than usual, but were ignorant
of the change that had taken place, and were glad to find, after proceeding
a short distance, that the individual within preferred walking home,
and giving up the sedan to the young lady. On the greffier entering
the cell, he quickly discovered the ruse, and gave the alarm; the under
gaoler was despatched to stop the chair, but he was too late.

Lavalette had formed a friendship with a young Englishman of the name
of Bruce; to whom he immediately had recourse, throwing himself upon
his generosity and kind feeling for protection, which was unhesitatingly
afforded. But as Bruce could do nothing alone, he consulted two English
friends who had shown considerable sympathy for the fate of Marshal
Ney - men of liberal principles and undoubted honour, and both of them