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"Anne d'Audeberte was a maid-of-honour, and you both know what happened to her. My dear De Lorgnac, our friend here has told us enough for us to know that mademoiselle is a heretic to her pretty fingertips. This is bad for her.
"A moment, De Lorges. Stay!" And Lorgnac ran up to him. "Faith! but your time is punctual." Montgomery de Lorges laughed as he laid a restraining hand on his trumpeter. "I have more than half a mind to give the signal," he said. "There is a rare flagon of Arbois in my apartment, and you would have been forced to share it. Come, change your mind and stay." "Thanks; but I cannot.
"On the contrary," replied De Lorgnac, "rather, perhaps, on the road to better things."
The thought came to me sudden and insistent, as I put my blade beside that of De Lorgnac, and covering him with my point, saw the grey despair in his eyes. "Simon," I called out, "put down your sword. I promise your life!" He spat at me in his fury, the fury of a beast, and I was a lost man if De Lorgnac had not stayed his hand. "God!" he burst out, "if there were only you!"
I sat still, wondering, but with a great relief in my heart. There was a little talk, as will be when things of this kind occur, and then matters settled down. A few more customers came in. The twilight began to fall, and then, all at once, I saw two figures at the gate. They were mademoiselle and De Lorgnac. In a moment I had joined them, and together we went on towards the river face.
Lorgnac took no notice of the interruption, but continued: "On learning this I hastened after Orrain, hoping to be in time to overtake him and save our friends; but it was not to be." And then he went on to tell him what is already known.
But I never could read. Here! Can any one of you read this?" And he turned to his men, but they one and all shook their heads. "I will read it for you if you like," said De Lorgnac as he pushed his horse forwards. "You!" "Yes. I am Monsieur de Lorgnac, the lieutenant of the Queen's guard." The old soldier made a mock bow.
Once in Le Brusquet's apartments the reaction set in, and flinging myself in a chair I covered my face with my hands for the first time in my life I had broken down utterly. After a while I somewhat recovered myself. Lorgnac was standing with his back to me, looking out of the window, and Le Brusquet was by my side, a glass of cordial in his hand. "Drink this," he said.
It was Le Brusquet's incisive voice that cut in. "Why? There is no reason why we should ever meet again." "There is every reason that is, if you take sufficient interest in the future of Mademoiselle de Paradis." De Lorgnac came back to his seat.
I had perforce to relate my own adventures, and when I described my meeting with La Marmotte and her strange request De Lorgnac rose from his seat, and approaching the window, said: "You can see Maître Barou's store from here. It abuts on my stables, and you will not have far to go to keep your appointment." "If I do keep it; but at present I have no such intention." "You must keep it."
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