nt the remembrance of all that
had gone before, and especially of the scene I had witnessed in the
king's chamber, rushed upon my mind with such overwhelming force that I
fell into a fury of impatience at the thought of the time I had wasted;
and rising up suddenly I threw off Maignan with all my force, crying out
that I was alive--that I was alive, and had news.

The equerry did his best to restrain me, cursing me under his breath for
a fool, and almost; squeezing the life out of me. But in vain, for the
King of Navarre, riding nearer, saw me struggling. 'Hallo! hallo! 'tis a
strange dead man,' he cried, interposing. 'What is the meaning of this?
Let him go! Do you hear, sirrah? Let him go!'

The equerry obeyed and stood back sullenly, and I staggered to my feet,
and looked round with eyes which still swam and watered. On the
instant a cry of recognition greeted me, with a hundred exclamations
of astonishment. While I heard my name uttered on every side in a dozen
different tones, I remarked that M. de Rosny, upon whom my eyes
first fell, alone stood silent, regarding me with a face of sorrowful
surprise.

'By heavens, sir, I knew nothing of this!' I heard the King of Navarre
declare, addressing himself to the Vicomte de Turenne. 'The man is here
by no connivance of mine. Interrogate him yourself, if you will. Or I
will. Speak, sir,' he continued, turning to me with his countenance hard
and forbidding. 'You heard me yesterday, what I promised you? Why, in
God's name, are you here to-day?'

I tried to answer, but Maignan had so handled me that I had not breath
enough, and stood panting.

'Your Highness's clemency in this matter,' M. de Turenne said, with a
sneer, 'has been so great he trusted to its continuance. And doubtless
he thought to find you alone. I fear I am in the way.'

I knew him by his figure and his grand air, which in any other company
would have marked him for master; and forgetting the impatience which
a moment before had consumed me--doubtless I was still light-headed--I
answered him. 'Yet I had once the promise of your lordship's
protection,' I gasped.

'My protection, sir?' he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming angrily.

'Even so,' I answered. 'At the inn at Etampes, where M. de Crillon would
have fought me.'

He was visibly taken aback. 'Are you that man?' he cried.

'I am. But I am not here to prate of myself,' I replied. And with
that--the remembrance of my neglected errand flashing on me ag