e any had dared so to beard me.

"Yes," she replied stoutly; "it is! Or, stay; you shall not go
empty-handed." And thrusting her arm under the pillow she drew out,
after a moment's search, a small packet, which she held out towards me.
"Take it!" she said, with a taunting laugh. "It has served my turn.
What the King gave me, I give you."

Seeing that it was the missing key to the cipher, I swallowed my rage
and took it; and being assured by this time that I could effect nothing
by staying longer, but should only expose myself to fresh insults, I
turned on my heel, with rudeness equal to her own, and, without taking
leave of her, flung the door open and went out. I heard her throw
herself back with a shrill laugh of triumph. But as, the moment the
door fell to behind me, my thoughts began to cast about for another way
of escape--this failing--I took little heed of her, and less of the
derisive looks to which the household, quickly taking the cue, treated
me as I passed. I flung myself into the saddle and galloped off,
followed by Maignan, who presently, to my surprise, blurted out a
clumsy word of congratulation.

I turned on him in amazement, and, swearing at him, asked him what he
meant.

"You have got it," he said timidly, pointing to the packet which I
mechanically held in my hand.

"And to what purpose?" I cried, glad of this opportunity of unloading
some of my wrath. "I want, not the paper, but the secret, fool! You
may have the paper for yourself if you will tell me how Madame got it."

Nevertheless, his words led me to look at the packet. I opened it,
and, having satisfied myself that it contained the original and not a
copy, was putting it up again when my eyes fell on a small spot of
blood which marked one corner of the cover. It was not larger than a
grain of corn, but it awoke, first, a vague association and then a
memory, which as I rode grew stronger and more definite, until, on a
sudden, discovery flashed upon me--and the truth. I remembered where I
had seen spots of blood before--on the papers I had handed to Ferret
and remembered, too, where that blood had come from. I looked at the
cut now, and, finding it nearly healed, sprang in my saddle. Of a
certainty this paper had gone through my hands that day! It had been
among the others; therefore it must have been passed to Ferret inside
another when I first opened the bag! The rogue, getting it and seeing
his opportunity, and that I