"M. de Carmainges has seen M. de Mayenne lying wounded in a village beyond Orleans." "Wounded!" "Yes, and more, he has written a letter to Madame de Montpensier, which M. de Carmainges has in his pocket." "Oh! oh! send M. de Carmainges to me." "Here he is," said De Loignac, signing to Ernanton to advance. "Well, monsieur, it seems you have a letter from M. de Mayenne." "Yes, monsieur." "Addressed to Madame de Montpensier?" "Yes, monsieur." "Give it to me," and the duke extended his hand. "Pardon, monsieur, but did you ask me for the duke's letter?" "Certainly." "You do not know that this letter was confided to me." "What matters that?" "It matters much, monsieur; I passed my word to the duke to give it to Madame la Duchesse herself." "Do you belong to the king, or M. de Mayenne?" "To the king." "Well! the king wishes to see the letter." "Monsieur, you are not the king." "I think you forget to whom you speak, M. de Carmainges." "I remember perfectly, monsieur, and that is why I refuse." "You refuse?" "Yes, monsieur." "M. de Carmainges, you forget your oath of fidelity." "Monsieur, I have sworn fidelity only to one person, and that is the king; if he asks me for the letter, he must have it, but he is not here." "M. de Carmainges," said the duke, growing very angry, "you are like the rest of the Gascons; blind in prosperity, your good fortune dazzles you, and the possession of a state secret is a weight too heavy for you to carry." "The only thing I find heavy, monsieur, is the disgrace into which I seem likely to fall; not my fortune, which my refusal to obey you renders, I know, very precarious; but, no matter; I do what I ought to do, and no one, excepting the king, shall see this letter, but the person to whom it is addressed." "De Loignac," cried D'Epernon, "place M. de Carmainges in arrest at once." "It is certain that will prevent me from delivering the letter for a time, but once I come out--" "If you never do come out?" "I shall come out, monsieur; unless you have me assassinated. Yes, I shall come out, the walls are less strong than my will, and then--" "Well?" "I will speak to the king." "To prison with him, and take away the letter," cried D'Epernon, beside himself with rage. "No one shall touch it," cried Ernanton, starting back and drawing from his breast the tablet of M. de Mayenne, "for I will break it to pieces, since I can save it in no other way; M. de Mayenne will approve my conduct, and the king will pardon me." The young man was about to execute his threat, when a touch arrested his arm. He turned and saw the king, who, coming down the staircase behind them, had heard the end of the discussion. "What is the matter, gentlemen?" said he.