of left which would have grasped his
sword, and he would have bidden the minister unsheath his own weapon
and answer for his words. Yet, since he was no fool, he saw at once
that for some purpose of his own Louvois was endeavouring to anger
him, to lead him into an outbreak of irritation, and he refused to be
so led, so trapped. Instead, he replied, therefore:

"Monsieur is, I think, the father of children himself. A few words
will, therefore, show him, prove to him, my excuse. I bore with me my
child; I was set upon by hired ruffians, and in the defence of that
child--by the aid of another stalwart arm--I resisted them, slew some,
drove some away, disarmed others. Yet, monsieur, this was not the
worst, not quite the worst, against which I had to contend."

The piercing eyes of the minister of war were resting fixedly on him
as he spoke--almost, it seemed, as though he feared what might come
next.

St. Georges proceeded:

"Not quite the worst. This gang of hired ruffians was led by one, a
cowardly hound, who feared to show his face! by one who--so accurately
had he been notified, forewarned, of my approach--must have received
his intelligence from Paris, from some one who knew what my movements
would be at the time. Strange, was it not, monsieur le ministre?"

Louvois's face seemed less empurpled than before--to have turned
white; then, brusquely, as always, he said:

"You are here, sir, to answer questions, not to ask them. Proceed."

"From Paris alone," St. Georges continued, "could that intelligence
have come, since he was there with his ruffians to meet and intercept
me--though I should not omit to state that, from the time I left
Dijon, there followed ever in my course another knave, who took to
this craven assassin the news that I was not alone. Certain it is, he
would have been of no avail, nor have been sent, had not the others
known well of my intended journey. Monsieur le ministre, are you sure,
do you think, that in your _bureau_ here"--the words fell clear and
distinct as he spoke--"there is any foul, crawling creature, say, a
low-born clerk, say, some ignoble menial--it could have been none with
the instincts of a true-born gentleman of France!--who would have set
so deep and foul a plot as this to waylay an innocent man?"

He saw--and, seeing, knew where one of his enemies, at least, was--the
slight wince which Louvois gave--above all, the minister hated to have
it known that his origin had but o