第九十八章 The Bell and Bottle Tavern
Chapter 98, titled The Bell and Bottle Tavern, tracks fugitive Andrea Cavalcanti as he evades a gendarme search at the hotel, accidentally falls into a room occupied by Eugénie Danglars and Mademoiselle d’Armilly, surrenders to authorities, and is incarcerated, while the two women depart to avoid public scandal.
Brigadier Sets Chimney Fire to Flush Andrea
To flush Andrea out of hiding, the brigadier has sticks and straw brought to fill the hotel chimney, then lights the material to create smoke and fire in an attempt to force Andrea out of his hiding place, but the trap fails as Andrea is not in the chimney.
Andrea Hides on the Hôtel de Ville Roof
Andrea, experienced at evading authorities, had already climbed onto the roof of the massive 16th-century Hôtel de Ville and crouched behind chimney pots to avoid the chimney fire. He initially thinks he is safe when he hears the brigadier tell the gendarmes he is not in the chimney, but sees the gendarmes continue to monitor the roof openings closely. Realizing the rooftop offers no escape route, he decides to descend via an unused chimney leading to a different room. Immediately after he disappears through the chimney, a gendarme’s head appears at a window of the Hôtel de Ville, remains motionless for a moment, then leaves in disappointment.
Brigadier Declares Andrea Escaped, Orders Search
The brigadier concludes Andrea escaped early that morning, tells his gendarmes the fugitive is gone, and orders them to search the Villers-Coterets and Noyon roads and the surrounding forest to recapture him.
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