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Again, he feared the very obvious courtship of the Chevalier de Saint-Eustache, and he would have welcomed a turn of events that would effectually have frustrated it. That he did not himself interfere so far as the Chevalier's wooing was concerned, I could but set down to the mistrust of Saint-Eustache amounting almost to fear of which he had spoken.
By an effort I mastered myself, and in tones calm and level, that betrayed nothing of the tempest in my soul "It is not welcome, mademoiselle," I answered. "I have excellent reasons for not desiring to meet Monsieur de Marsac." "Excellent, indeed, are they!" lisped Saint-Eustache, with an ugly droop at the corners of his mouth.
I struck him could I do less? and he drew. I defended myself, and I supplemented my defence by a caning, so that this poor Saint-Eustache might realize the unworthiness of what he had done. That is all, madame." But she was not so easily to be appeased, not even when Mademoiselle and the Vicomte joined their voices to mine in extenuation of my conduct. It was like Lavedan.
But as the poor child came into more complete possession of her wits, she began to trouble about sundry practical difficulties she had not thought of till then. "What will my aunt say? And whatever can I tell her?" she asked distractedly. The aunt lived just opposite Saint-Eustache, less than a hundred yards from Mathurine's archway.
The air became suddenly heavy with the scent of musk, and the Chevalier de Saint-Eustache stood before us, and forced the conversation once more upon the odious topic of Monsieur de Bardelys. The poor fool came with a plan of campaign carefully considered, bent now upon overthrowing me with the knowledge he would exhibit, and whereby he looked to encompass my humiliation before his cousin.
With these two witnesses, and Rodenard to swear how Saint-Eustache had bribed them to cut my throat, with myself and Gilles to swear how the attempt had been made and frustrated, I could now go to His Majesty with a very full confidence, not only of having the Chevalier's accusations, against whomsoever they might be, discredited, but also of sending the Chevalier himself to the gallows he had so richly earned.
Then Saint-Eustache, who was engaged in binding up his principal's arm, called to La Fosse. I followed my second with my eyes as he went across to Chatellerault. The Count stood white, his lips compressed, no doubt from the pain his arm was causing him. Then his voice floated across to me as he addressed La Fosse.
"Nature needs meddling with at times," hazarded La Fosse, from behind His Majesty's chair. "This Saint-Eustache is a sort of Pandora's box, which it is well to close ere " "Go to the devil," said the King shortly. "We are not jesting. We have to do justice." "Ah! Justice," murmured La Fosse; "I have seen pictures of the lady.
Had he been a man of sterner purposes I might have been uneasy and on my guard. But Saint-Eustache pshaw! It is ill to underestimate an enemy, be he never so contemptible, and for my disdain of the Chevalier I might have paid dearly had not Fortune which of late had been practising singular jests upon me after seemingly abandoning me, returned to my aid at the last moment.
Finally, I have the reputation of having a certain- knowledge of heraldry, which I owe to my uncle, a confirmed hunter after genealogical claims. This gains me a respect which makes me laugh sometimes, when I see people who detest me greet me as cordially as the Cure of Saint-Eustache greeted Bayle, for fear that I might destroy their favorite saint.
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