"You acted precipitately," said Philip. "These things are not done without good advice. Continue." "I ask your Majesty's pardon if I did wrongly. When my men came to the inn they found the--the Chevalier's baggage strewn about, his chests and strong box broken open and empty. His money was gone, his jewels, a sword of Ferrara make, the best of his dress--in short, sire, a seeming robbery, committed by the servant, who had fled." "Who had fled," repeated the King. "But continue, señor." "This we thought a suspicious circumstance, sire, but upon question the tapster at the inn confessed to having had speech with the servant last night, when he was evidently making his escape. The man says that he was something merry in his bearing, talked of his good fortune, and said that if his master was laid by the heels it was a good riddance to him, and he was not one to be slow to catch at opportunity." "Possible! Possible!" said Philip. "Yet this might well be a ruse. We have to consider all points, Don Cristobal. What said the Chevalier?" Don Cristobal smiled rather ruefully. "The Chevalier, sire, exhibited a very natural anger, and--in fact, sire, he demands--he is high in his tone--that strict search should be made for the fellow. He would have us send after the man to the Frontier, for he is left penniless. The Chevalier, sire, was particularly enraged at the loss of his sword. He started up, sire, and demanded to know whether the servant had made off with this piece, and upon being told that it was not to be found, he seemed like to fly into a very real passion. The next thing he asked, sire, was whether his papers, too, were gone, and it seemed to me--I was watching him closely--that he showed great relief when I could assure him that they were safe." "Ah, the papers were left?" Philip asked. "They were discovered, sire, in the inner pocket of a mandilion. I judged that the man had overlooked them in his haste. A wallet was found on the floor with a few odd bills in it, but nothing more. The Chevalier's linen was overturned as though the servant had sought amongst it for something, and we found sundry other articles of raiment." "Let these be taken to the Chevalier," said Philip. "This is a delicate matter, señor, needing our careful judgment." There was the sound of a softly opened door behind him. A man came into the room from some inner room behind Philip, a man in a priest's gown. Philip's thin lips parted in a smile that showed teeth that were yellow and rather pointed. "You are come opportunely, Father." The priest had gone unobtrusively to the window, but he turned at Philip's words, and came nearer to the King's chair. He was Father Allen, an English Jesuit, never far from Philip's side. "You have need of me, sire?" "I may have need of you, Father," Philip answered cautiously. "There is a man held in ward, Father, who is accused of being the freebooter, Beauvallet." "I have heard something of this, sire, from Frey Luis."