I am the Vicomte de Lavedan
--at your service."
Although it was no more than I might have expected, yet a dull wonder
filled me, to which presently I gave expression by asking stupidly--
"At Lavedan? But how came I hither?"
"How you came is more than I can tell," he laughed. "But I'll swear
the King's dragoons were not far behind you. We found you in the
courtyard last night; in a swoon of exhaustion, wounded in the
shoulder, and with a sprained foot. It was my daughter who gave the
alarm and called us to your assistance. You were lying under her
widow." Then, seeing the growing wonder in my eyes and misconstruing
it into alarm: "Nay, have no fear, monsieur," he cried. "You were
very well advised in coming to us. You have fallen among friends.
We are Orleanists too, - at Lavedan, for all that I was not in the
fight at Castelnaudary. That was no fault of mine. His Grace's
messenger reached me overlate, and for all that I set out with a
company of my men, I put back when I had reached Lautrec upon hearing
that already a decisive battle had been fought and that our side had
suffered a crushing defeat." He uttered a weary sigh.
"God help us, monsieur! Monseigneur de Richelieu is likely to have
his way with us. But let that be for the present. You are here,
and you are safe. As yet no suspicion rests on Lavedan. I was, as
I have said, too late for the fight, and so I came quietly back to
save my skin, that I might serve the Cause in whatever other way
might offer still.
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