There were plenty of small chances there for men of his caliber.

He waited for one of them.
It came; he made the most of it; attracted favorably the notice of the terrible Fouquier-Tinville; and won his way to a place in the office of the Secret Police.
Meanwhile, Danville's anger cooled down; he recovered the use of that cunning sense which had hitherto served him well, and sent to recall the discarded servant.

It was too late.

Lomaque was already in a position to set him at defiance--nay, to put his neck, perhaps, under the blade of the guillotine.

Worse than this, anonymous letters reached him, warning him to lose no time in proving his patriotism by some indisputable sacrifice, and in silencing his mother, whose imprudent sincerity was likely ere long to cost her her life.