an escape--"

"Bah!" ejaculated Leoni contemptuously. "Are we likely to leave our
master?"

"Perhaps not," said the captain, with a bluff laugh, "but you might try
to take him."

"In a litter?" said Leoni mockingly.

"There, we must not bandy words, sir," said the captain. "It is my duty
to tell you that an attempt at escape may be at the cost of some of your
lives. We will stay here the night. But now, gentlemen, I have one
unpleasant duty to perform."

"Our swords!" cried Denis hotly.

"No, sir," said the captain, with a smile. "His Majesty would not
desire that I should call upon you to suffer that indignity. My
instructions were that in your hasty departure the other night one of
you took by mistake something--papers, documents, I don't know exactly
what--but something to which his Majesty attaches great importance."

"I hardly understand you," said Leoni coolly.

"Perhaps one of your friends does, sir," continued the captain. "Of
course it was taken by mistake."

"This means, I presume, that you consider yourself bound to search us?"

The captain bowed.

"Pray do so, then, but incommode my patient as little as you can. You
have an easy task, sir, for our valises were left behind."

As Leoni said, it was an easy task, for all offered themselves freely to
the officer's inspection, and soon after the latter signified that he
was satisfied, and was about to leave the room. But as he reached the
door he stopped short and turned to Leoni.

"One moment, sir," he said. "Can you and will you answer for the Comte
here, who seems to be insensible to what is going on?"

"He is," said Leoni, "from the effects of his wound."

"Then will you speak for him? And you, gentlemen, will you all give me
your word that you are not bearing off any paper or despatch belonging
to his Majesty?"

"Certainly," replied Leoni, "and my friends will too. We have neither
paper nor despatch belonging to your King."

The captain bowed, and left the room, to set a couple of his men as
sentries at the chamber door; and as the occupants of the humble room
stood listening to the King's heavy breathing, for he had fallen into a
deep sleep, they heard the tramp of footsteps outside, sounds which made
Leoni glide on tiptoe to the window and cautiously look out.

"Prisoners indeed," he said softly, with a bitter smile, as he returned;
and as in the dim light of the two candles burning on the table Denis
met the doctor's eye