He knew me,
and he knew how much I was to be feared. A word from me to the King
might send him to the wheel. It was upon this I played. Presently,
as his eye fell, "Is your business with me, Monsieur de Bardelys?" he
asked, and at that utterance of my name there was a commotion on the
steps, whilst the Vicomte started, and his eyes frowned upon me, and
the Vicomtesse looked up suddenly to scan me with a fresh interest.
She beheld at last in the flesh the gentleman who had played so
notorious a part, ten years ago, in that scandal connected with the
Duchesse de Bourgogne, of which she never tired of reciting the
details. And think that she had sat at table with him day by day
and been unconscious of that momentous fact! Such, I make no doubt,
was what passed through her mind at the moment, and, to judge from
her expression, I should say that the excitement of beholding the
Magnificent Bardelys had for the nonce eclipsed beholding even her
husband's condition and the imminent sequestration of Lavedan.
"My business is with you, Chevalier," said I. "It relates to your
mission here."
His jaw fell. "You wish--?"
"To desire you to withdraw your men and quit Lavedan at once,
abandoning the execution of your warrant."
He flashed me a look of impotent hate. "You know of the existence
of my warrant, Monsieur de Bardelys, and you must therefore realize
that a royal mandate alone can exempt me from delivering Monsieur
de Lavedan to the Keeper of the Seals.
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