light. The Dowager turned to Fortunio, who had
approached her, and her eyes seemed to take fire at something that he
told her.

"Garnache?" the Parisian heard her say, and he saw Fortunio jerk his
thumb in the direction of the barricade.

She appeared to forget her son; she stepped suddenly from his side, and
peered through the doorway at the stalwart figure of Garnache, dimly to
be seen through the pile of furniture that protected him to the height
of his breast. No word said she to the Parisian. She stood regarding him
a moment with lips compressed and a white, startled, angry face. Then:

"It was by Marius's contrivance that he was placed sentry over the
girl," he heard her tell Fortunio, and he thought she sneered.

She looked at the two bodies on the floor, one almost at her feet, the
other just inside the doorway, now almost hidden in the shadows of the
table. Then she issued her commands to the men, and fiercely she bade
them pull down that barricade and take the dog alive.

But before they could move to do her bidding, Garnache's voice rang
imperatively through the chamber.

"A word with you ere they begin, Monsieur de Tressan," he shouted, and
such was the note of command he assumed that the men stood arrested,
looking to the Dowager for fresh orders. Tressan changed colour, for
all that there was surely naught to fear, and he fingered his beard
perplexedly, looking to the Marquise for direction. She flashed him a
glance, lifted one shoulder disdainfully, and to the men:

"Fetch him out," said she, and she pointed to Garnache. But again
Garnache stayed them.

"Monsieur de Tressan," he called impressively, "to your dying day--and
that will be none so distant--shall you regret it if you do not hear
me."

The Seneschal was stirred by those words and the half-threat,
half-warning; they seemed to cover. He paused a moment, and this time
his eyes avoided the Marquise's. At last, taking a step forward,

"Knave," said he, "I do not know you."

"You know me well enough. You have heard my name. I am Martin Marie
Rigobert de Garnache, Her Majesty's emissary into Dauphiny to procure
the enlargement of Mademoiselle de La Vauvraye from the Chateau de
Condillac, where she is detained by force and for the serving of
unscrupulous ends. Now you know me and my quality."

The Dowager stamped her foot.

"Fetch him out!" she commanded harshly.

"Hear me first, Monsieur le Seneschal, or it will be the worse for
you.