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Count Adam von Schwarzenberg had meanwhile opened the door to his little private antechamber, and caused to enter his officiating equery and chamberlain, von Lehndorf, as also his two pages in waiting. "Lehndorf," he said, "what think you? Would it be possible to arrange a small hunting party for to-day?"
It was on my tongue to tell him of M. le Comte's mad resolve to fare forth alone; to beg him to stop it. But I remembered how blameworthy I myself had held the equery for interfering with M. Étienne, and I made up my mind that no word of cavil at my lord should ever pass my lips. I lagged across the court at Vigo's heels, silent. M. Étienne was standing in the doorway.
But I have seen nothing this summer as funny as your face." Vigo came back with a sword and baldric for me, and a horse-pistol besides, but M. Étienne would not let me have it. "Circumstances are such, Vigo, that I want no noisy weapons." The equery regarded him with a troubled countenance. "I wish I knew, monsieur, whether I do right to let you go." "We will not discuss that, an it please you."
Therefore, maître, I beg you to admit no one to M. le Comte no one on any business whatsoever. Not if he comes from the Duke of Mayenne himself." "I won't admit the Sixteen themselves," the maître declared. "There is one man you may admit," I conceded. "Vigo, M. de St. Quentin's equery. You will know him for the biggest man in France." "Good. And this other; what is he like?"
I could catch names now and then, Monsieur's, M. Étienne's, Grammont's, but the hero of the tale was myself. "You let him to the duke?" Mayenne cried presently. At the harsh censure of his voice, Lucas's rang out with the old defiance: "With Vigo at his back I did. Sangdieu! you have yet to make the acquaintance of St. Quentin's equery. A regiment of your lansquenets couldn't keep him out."
He had appeared in the court by this, as also half a dozen of the guard, who surrounded me with shouts of astonished mockery; but I, little heeding, cried to the equery: "Vigo, M. le Comte is arrested! He's in the Bastille!" Vigo grasped my arm, and lifted rather than led me in at the guard-room door, slamming it in the soldiers' faces. "Now, Félix." "M. Étienne!" I gasped "M. Étienne is arrested!
Quentin had recently passed out, but that nothing had been seen of his equery. No steeds were here for us. "Well, then, we'll go have a glass. But if Vigo doesn't come soon, by my faith, I'll walk to St. Denis!" But that promised glass was never drunk, nor were we to set out at once for St. Denis; for in the door of the wine-shop we met Lucas.
Her alarm and passion had swept her to the door of the Hôtel St. Quentin as a whirlwind sweeps a leaf. She had come without thought of herself, without pause, without fear. But now the first heat of her impulse was gone. Her long tramp had left her faint and weary, and here she had to face not an equery and a page, hers to command, but a great duke, the enemy of her house.
Though Constant was Master of the Household and Vigo only Equery, yet Vigo ruled every corner of the establishment and every man in it, save only Monsieur, who ruled him. He said no word to me as we climbed the broad stair; neither reproved me for the fracas nor questioned me about my coming.
If not, by St. Quentin, we will see what a flogging can do!" Charles-André-Étienne-Marie. Unpleased, but unprotesting, Vigo led me out into the anteroom. Those men who judged by the outside of things and, knowing Vigo's iron ways, said that he ruled Monsieur, were wrong. The big equery gave me over to the charge of Marcel and returned to the inner room.
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