"He must be tried at once," said the queen. "Assemble a court-martial. You will preside, Monsieur le Duc d'Épernon; so select your associates, and lose no time." "Madame," said Richon, "there is no occasion for assembling a court-martial, or for a trial. I am a prisoner upon the word of Monsieur le Maréchal de La Meilleraie. I am a voluntary prisoner, for I could have gone out of Vayres with my soldiers; I could have made my escape before or after their evacuation, and I did not do it." "I know nothing of business of this nature," said the queen, rising to go into the adjoining room; "if you have satisfactory explanations to make, you can urge them upon your judges. Will not this room serve your purpose, Monsieur le Duc?" "Yes, madame," replied D'Épernon, who immediately selected twelve officers from among those in attendance, and constituted the court. Richon began to understand his situation, as the judges took their places, and the judge-advocate demanded his name and rank. Richon answered these questions. "You are accused of high treason in having fired upon the soldiers of the king," said the judge-advocate; "do you admit your guilt?" "To deny it would be to deny what you all saw; yes, monsieur, I fired upon the king's troops." "By virtue of what right?" "By virtue of the laws of war, by virtue of the same right which Monsieur de Conti, Monsieur de Beaufort, Monsieur d'Elbœuf, and so many others, have invoked under the like circumstances." "That right does not exist, monsieur, for it is nothing more nor less than rebellion." "But it was by virtue of that right that my lieutenant capitulated. I appeal to the terms of the capitulation." "Capitulation!" cried Monsieur d'Épernon, ironically, for he felt that the queen was listening, and the feeling dictated the insult; "you, treat with a marshal of France!" "Why not, when a marshal of France treated with me?" "Produce your capitulation, then, and we will judge of its value." "It was a verbal agreement." "Produce your witnesses." "I have but one witness to produce." "Who is that?" "The marshal himself." "Let the marshal be called," said the duke. "It's useless," interposed the queen, opening the door behind which she was listening; "Monsieur le Maréchal set out two hours since with the advance-guard, to march upon Bordeaux." With that she closed the door once more. This apparition froze the blood in every heart, for it imposed upon the judges the necessity of convicting Richon. "Ah!" said he, "that is all the regard Monsieur de La Meilleraie has for his word. You were right, monsieur," he added, turning to the Duc d'Épernon, "I was foolish to treat with a marshal of France."