he but kept his temper
yesterday at Grenoble; had he but had the wit to thwart their plans, by
preserving an unruffled front to insult, he might have won through and
carried mademoiselle out of their hands. As it was--! he let his arms
fall to his sides in his miserable despair.

"Your wine, monsieur," said Rabecque at his elbow. He turned, and took
the cup of mulled drink from his servant. The beverage warmed him in
body; but it would need a butt of it to thaw the misery from his soul.

"Rabecque," he said with a pathetic grimness, "I think I am the most
cursed blunderer that ever was entrusted with an errand."

The thing so obsessed his mind that he must speak of it, if it be only
to his lackey. Rabecque's sharp face assumed a chastened look. He sighed
most dutifully. He sought for words of consolation. At last:

"At least, monsieur has made them fear him up there at Condillac," said
he.

"Fear me?" laughed Garnache. "Pish! Deride me, you would say."

"Fear you, I repeat, monsieur. Else why are they at such pains to
strengthen the garrison?"

"Eh?" he questioned. But his tone was not greatly interested. "Are they
doing that? Are they strengthening it? How know you?"

"I had it from the ostler at the Veau qui Tete that a certain Captain
Fortunio--an Italian soldier of fortune who commands the men at
Condillac--was at the Auberge de France last night, offering wine to
whomsoever would drink with him, and paying for it out of Madame la
Marquise's purse. To such as accepted his hospitality he talked of the
glory of a military career, particularly a free-lance's; and to those
who showed interest in what he said he offered a pike in his company."

"Enrolled he many, did you learn?"

"Not one, monsieur, the ostler told me; and it seems he spent the
evening watching him weave his spider's web. But the flies were
over-wary. They knew whence he came; they knew the business for which he
desired to enrol them--for a rumour had gone round that Condillac was in
rebellion against the Queen's commands--and there were none so desperate
at the Auberge de France as to risk their necks by enlisting, no matter
what the wage he offered."

Garnache shrugged his shoulders. "No matter," said he. "Get me another
cup of wine." But as Rabecque turned away to obey him there came a
sudden gleam into the eye of Monsieur de Garnache which lightened the
depression of his countenance.

CHAPTER X. THE RECRUIT

In the great hall