"
He looked at me, his glance charged with inquiry.
"His Majesty," I continued, in answer to his glance, "is ordering
your arrest for betraying the trust he had reposed in you and for
perverting the ends of justice to do your own private murdering."
"Mon Dieu!" he cried, falling of a sudden unto a most pitiful
affright. "The King knows?"
"Knows?" I laughed. "In the excitement of these other matters you
have forgotten to ask how I come to be at liberty. I have been to
the King, monsieur, and I have told him what has taken place here
at Toulouse, and how I was to have gone to the block tomorrow!"
"Scelerat!" he cried. "You have ruined me!" Rage and grief were
blent in his accents. He stood before me, livid of face and with
hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Did you expect me to keep such a matter silent? Even had I been
so inclined it had not been easy, for His Majesty had questions to
ask me. From what the King said, monsieur, you may count upon
mounting the scaffold in my stead. So be advised, and make your
will without delay, if you would have your heirs enjoy my Picardy
chateau."
I have seen terror and anger distort men's countenances, but never
have I seen aught to compare with the disorder of Chatellerault at
that moment. He stamped and raved and fumed. He poured forth a
thousand ordures of speech in his frenzy; he heaped insults upon me
and imprecations upon the King, whose lapdog he pronounced me.
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