The king rose to his feet suddenly, and I thought that my
boldness would meet with the punishment that I desired for de
Tulle; but he bit his lips, and then said coldly:

"'You are not often at court, Baron Pointdexter, and are doubtless
ignorant that I am not accustomed to be spoken to, in the tone
that you have used. However, I can make due allowance for the
great anxiety that you have suffered, at your daughter's
disappearance. I trust that I shall see you and your daughter at
my levee, this evening.'

"As this was a command, of course we went, and I am bound to say
that the king did all in his power to show to his court that he
considered her to be wholly blameless. Of course, the story had
already got about, and it was known that the vicomte had been
ordered to his estates. The king was markedly civil to Anne,
talked to her for some time, expressed his deep regret that she
should have been subject to such an outrage, while staying at his
court, and said, in a tone loud enough to be heard by all standing
round:

"'The only redeeming point in the matter is, that the Vicomte de
Tulle in no way troubled or molested you, and that you only saw
him, for a few minutes, on the first day of your confinement.'

"I need not say that this royal utterance was most valuable to my
daughter, and that it at once silenced any malicious scandal that
might otherwise have got about.

"The king stopped to speak to me, immediately afterwards, and I
said:

"'I trust that you will pardon the words I spoke this morning.
Your Majesty has rendered me and my daughter an inestimable
service, by the speech that you have just made.'

"Thus, although dissatisfied with the punishment inflicted on the
Vicomte de Tulle, and believing that the king had a shrewd idea
who her abductor was, I am grateful to him for shielding my
daughter from ill tongues, by his marked kindness to her, and by
declaring openly that de Tulle had not seen her, since the day of
her abduction. I intended to return home tomorrow, but the king
himself, when I went this morning to pay my respects, and state my
intention of taking Anne home, bade those standing round to fall
back, and was good enough to say in a low voice to me:

"'I think, Baron, that you would do well to reconsider your
decision to leave tomorrow. Your sudden departure would give rise
to ill-natured talk. It would be wiser to stay here, for a short
time, till the gossip and wonder have passed away.'