CHAPTERXLII
THEGUARD-HOUSEOFTHERUESTE。ANNE
ThelittlecortegewasturningoutofthegreatgatesofthehouseofJustice。Itwasintenselycold；abitternorth-easterlygalewasblowingfromacrosstheheightsofMontmartre，drivingsleetandsnowandhalf-frozenrainintothefacesofthemen，andfindingitswayuptheirsleeves，downtheircollarsandroundthekneesoftheirthreadbarebreeches。
Armand，whosefingerswerenumbwiththecold，couldscarcelyfeelthereinsinhishands。Chauvelinwasridingdosebesidehim，butthetwomenhadnotexchangedonewordsincethemomentwhenthesmalltroopofsometwentymountedsoldiershadfiledupinsidethecourtyard，andChauvelin，withacurtwordofcommand，hadorderedoneofthetrooperstotakeArmand\'shorseonthelead。
Ahackneycoachbroughtuptherearofthecortege，withamanridingateitherdoorandtwomorefollowingatadistanceoftwentypaces。Heron\'sgaunt，uglyface，crownedwithabattered，sugar-loafhat，appearedfromtimetotimeatthewindowofthecoach。Hewasnohorseman，and，moreover，preferredtokeeptheprisonercloselyunderhisowneye。ThecorporalhadtoldArmandthattheprisonerwaswithcitizenHeroninsidethecoach——inirons。Beyondthatthesoldierscouldtellhimnothing；theyknewnothingoftheobjectofthisexpedition。VaguelytheymighthavewonderedintheirdullmindswhythisparticularprisonerwasthusbeingescortedoutoftheConciergerieprisonwithsomuchparaphernaliaandsuchanairofmystery，whentherewerethousandsofprisonersinthecityandtheprovincesatthepresentmomentwhoanonwouldbebundledupwholesaleintocartstobedraggedtotheguillotinelikeaflockofsheeptothebutchers。