e loose end. After the commander,
my father and I came, and behind us the burdened prisoners, who were
flanked and followed by the other guardsmen.

On the way, I told my father who it was that lay in the tower, and gave
him a brief account of my whole adventure at Lavardin and in the forest.
He applauded my conduct, though counselling me in future to look well
before I leaped; and he approved of my offer to the Countess of the
hospitality of La Tournoire.

"But what still makes me wonder," said I, "is that you should have found
me here, so far from Paris, whither you knew I was bound, and from
Vendome, whither Nicolas must have told you I was going."

"But in truth my being here is very simple," said he. "As soon as
Nicolas came back to La Tournoire with your message the day after you
set out, I started for Paris to solicit your pardon for the affair at La
Fleche. Six days later I presented myself to the Duke de Sully, who
immediately took me for an audience of the King. There was a deal of
talk about the scandalous disregard of the edict against duels, the
great quantity of good blood wasted almost every day, the too frequent
granting of pardons, and all that. But in the end Henri would not refuse
me, and I have your pardon now in my pocket. But you must not be rash
another time: I promised for you, and assured the King you were no
fire-eater and had received great provocation."

"Trust me to be prudent," said I.

"Good! As you had not yet arrived in Paris," continued my father, "I
supposed you had been delayed at Vendome, whither, as you say, Nicolas
told me you were going. So I thought I would start for home by way of
Vendome, as you might still be there and perhaps in some scrape or
other, or I might meet you on the road between there and Paris. I stayed
overnight in Paris, as the Duke had invited me to wait upon him the next
day. I went and was very well received. As I was about to take my leave,
I mentioned that I was going to travel by Vendome. 'Ah,' said the Duke,
'then, if you wish, you may take a hand in a little affair which will be
like an echo of the old busy days.' I opened my eyes at this, and the
Duke told me that evidence had just been brought by one of his spies,
which warranted the arrest of a powerful malcontent in the neighbourhood
of Vendome, who had long been under suspicion,--in short, the Count de
Lavardin. A party of royal guards was about to be sent off at once to
take him in his chateau