"
"Monsieur de Bardelys," said he very insolently, "we waste time in
idle words. If you think that I will imperil my neck for the sake
of serving you or the Vicomte, you are most prodigiously at fault."
"I have never thought so. But I have thought that you might be
induced to imperil your neck - as you have it - for its own sake,
and to the end that you might save it."
He moved away. "Monsieur, you talk in vain. You have no royal
warrant to supersede mine. Do what you will when you come to
Toulouse," and he smiled darkly. "Meanwhile, the Vicomte goes with
me."
"You have no evidence against him!" I cried, scarce believing that
he would dare to defy me and that I had failed.
"I have the evidence of my word. I am ready to swear to what I know
--that, whilst I was here at Lavedan, some weeks ago, I discovered
his connection with the rebels."
"And what think you, miserable fool, shall your word weigh against
mine?" I cried. "Never fear, Monsieur le Chevalier, I shall be in
Toulouse to give you the lie by showing that your word is a word to
which no man may attach faith, and by exposing to the King your past
conduct. If you think that, after I have spoken, King Louis whom
they name the just will suffer the trial of the Vicomte to go further
on your instigation, or if you think that you will be able to slip
your own neck from the noose I shall have set about it, you are an
infinitely greater fool than I deem you."
He stood and looked at me over his shoulder, his face crimson, and
his brows black as a thundercloud.
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