"Will you so?" replied De Blenau, coolly drawing from his bosom the Queen's billet, and approaching the edge to the lamp so that it caught fire. The Governor started forward to seize it; but the strong arm of the Count held him at a distance, till the few lines the Queen had written were irretrievably destroyed; and then freeing him from his grasp, he pointed to a chair, saying, "Now, Monsieur le Gouverneur, sit down and listen to a few words of common sense." The Governor placed himself in the chair with a look of bitter malignity; but this softened down gradually into an expression of thoughtful cunning, as De Blenau proceeded--"Thus stands the case," said the Count; "I was committed to your charge, I think, with positive orders not to allow me communication with any person whatsoever--was it not so?" The Governor assented: "It so happened, however," continued the Count with a smile, "that at our very first interview, you conceived a friendship for me of the most liberal and disinterested nature," (the Governor bit his lip,) "a sort of love at first sight; and, for the sake of my accommodation, you not only broke through the positive commands of the Cardinal Prime Minister, in suffering me once to have communication with another person, but allowed such to take place at all times, according to my pleasure; and also took especial pains to procure the attendance of the person I wished, paying him with my money, for which, and other excellent purposes, you have, within the space of six days, received from me upwards of one thousand crowns." The Governor winced most desperately; and fully convinced, that a tale so told, would readily convey his head under the axe of the executioner, if it reached the ears of Richelieu, he cursed himself for a fool, De Blenau for a knave, and Philip the woodman for something between the two; most devoutly wishing both the others at the Devil, so he could slip his own neck out of the halter.