The Story of the Diamond Necklace by Henry Vizetelly

COUNT DE LA MOTTE'S FLIGHT-COLD STEEL AND POISON.

We must now go back a little in our narrative and see what has become of Count de la Motte since his flight from Bar-sur-Aube. Beugnot mentions that he took his place in the diligence, but he seems to have gone in one of his own carriages, and posted as fast as he could, day and night, to Boulogne, where he arrived on the night of August 20, having accomplished the journey of three hundred miles, all stoppages included, in little more than forty-eight hours, and whence at noon on the 22nd he crossed over to England.[369] The authorities, who had shown such remissness in not having him arrested earlier, now that he was beyond their reach began to bestir themselves, and sent orders to the officers of the marshalsea, at Boulogne and other ports, to overhaul all vessels leaving the harbour, and capture the count if they only got the chance. The officer of the marshalsea at Boulogne was lucky enough to capture the count's carriage, which had been left behind at the "Hôtel du Lion d'Argent," and in his simplicity set a man to watch it, for we know not how many days and nights, in the vain hope that the count would return and claim it.[370] This we need hardly say he had not the remotest intention of doing.