"Go then, De Blenau," said the Queen: "Go, and whether we ever meet again or not, your faithful services and zealous friendship shall ever have my warmest gratitude; and Anne of Austria has no other reward to bestow." Thus saying, she held out her hand to him. De Blenau in silence bent his head respectfully over it, and turned away. Chavigni bowed low, and followed the Count, to whose hotel they proceeded, in order to prepare for their departure. In the orders which De Blenau gave on their arrival, he merely commanded the attendance of his Page. "Pardon me, Monsieur de Blenau, if I observe upon your arrangements," said Chavigni, when he heard this order. "But let me remind you, once more, that you are not going to a prison, and that it might be better if your general train attended you, as a gentleman of high station about to visit the Prime Minister of his Sovereign. They will find plenty of accommodation in the Hotel de Bouthiliers." "Be it so, then," replied De Blenau, scarcely able to assume even the appearance of civility towards his companion. "Henry de La Mothe," he proceeded, "order a dozen of my best men to attend me, bearing my full colours in their sword-knots and scarfs. Trick out my horses gaily, as if I were going to a wedding, for Claude de Blenau is about to visit the Cardinal; and remember," he continued, his anger at the forced journey he was taking overcoming his prudence, "that there be saddled for my own use the good black barb that carried me so stoutly when I was attacked by assassins in the wood of Mantes;" and as he spoke, his eye glanced towards the Statesman, who sitting in the window seat, had taken up the Poems of Rotrou, and apparently inattentive to all that was passing, read on with as careless and easy an air, as if no more important interest occupied his thoughts, and no contending passions struggled in his breast. CHAPTER X. Shows how the Count de Blenau supped in a place that he little expected. Though the attendants of the Count de Blenau did not expend much time in preparing to accompany their master, the evening was nevertheless too far spent, before they could proceed, to permit the hope of reaching Paris ere the night should have set in. It was still quite light enough, however, to show all the preparations for the Count's departure to the boys of St. Germain's, who had not beheld for many a good day such a gay cavalcade enliven the streets of that almost deserted town. Chavigni and De Blenau mounted their horses together; and the four or five servants which the Statesman had brought with him from Paris, mingling with those of De Blenau, followed the two gentlemen as they rode from the gate. Having the privilege of the Park, Chavigni took his way immediately under the windows of the Palace, thereby avoiding a considerable circuit, which would have occupied more time than they could well spare at that late hour of the evening.