She must, however, be drawing nearer, and he determined to ride on to meet her.
From Leuze to Soignies is a distance of some eight or nine leagues by a road which may roughly be said to be the basis of a triangle having its apex at Boisvert.
After his men had hurriedly refreshed themselves, La Boulaye ordered them to horse again, and they now cantered out, along this road, to Soignes.

But as mile after mile was covered without their coming upon any sign of such a carriage as Mademoiselle should be travelling in, La Boulaye almost unconsciously quickened the pace until in the end they found themselves careering along as fast as their jaded horses would bear them, and speculating mightily upon the Deputy's odd behaviour.
Soignies itself was reached towards four o'clock, and still they had not met her whom La Boulaye expected.

Here, in a state of some wonder and even of some anxiety, Caron made straight for the Auberge des Postes.
Bidding his men dismount and see to themselves and their beasts, he went in quest of the host, and having found him, bombarded him with questions.
In reply he elicited the information that at noon that day a carriage such as he described had reached Soignies in a very sorry condition.

One of the wheels had come off on the road, and although the Marquise's men had contrived to replace it and to rudely secure it by an improvised pin, they had been compelled to proceed at a walk for some fifteen miles of the journey, which accounted for the lateness of their arrival at Soignies.

They had remained at the Auberge des Postes until the wheel had been properly mended, and it was not more than an hour since they had resumed their journey along the road to Liege.
"But did both the citoyennes depart ?" cried La Boulaye, in amazement, and upon receiving an affirmative reply it at once entered his mind that the Marquise must have influenced her daughter to that end--perhaps even employed force.
"Did there appear to be any signs of disagreement between them ?" was his next question.
"No, Citizen, I observed nothing.