‘Our positions,’ he blurted out, ‘Or we shall cross one another again within the hour.’ ‘Umph! I am not quite sure that I understand,’ I said. ‘That is precisely what I don’t do--understand!’ he retorted, in a tone of surly triumph. ‘Before I came on this duty, I was told that there was a gentleman here, bearing sealed orders from the Cardinal to arrest M. de Cocheforet; and I was instructed to avoid collision with him so far as might be possible. At first I took you for the gentleman. But the plague take me if I understand the matter now.’ ‘Why not?’ I said coldly. ‘Because--well, the question is in a nutshell!’ he answered impetuously. ‘Are you here on behalf of Madame de Cocheforet, to shield her husband? Or are you here to arrest him? That is what I do not understand, M. de Berault.’ ‘If you mean, am I the Cardinal’s agent--I am!’ I answered sternly. ‘To arrest M. de Cocheforet?’ ‘To arrest M. de Cocheforet.’ ‘Well--you surprise me,’ he said. Only that; but he spoke so drily that I felt the blood rush to my face. ‘Take care, Monsieur,’ I said severely. ‘Do not presume too far on the inconvenience to which your death might put me.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘No offence,’ he said. ‘But you do not seem, M. de Berault, to comprehend the difficulty. If we do not settle things now, we shall be bickering twenty times a day.’ ‘Well, what do you want?’ I asked impatiently. ‘Simply to know how you are going to proceed. So that our plans may not clash.’ ‘But surely, M. le Capitaine, that is my affair,’ I said. ‘The clashing?’ he answered bitterly. Then he waved aside my wrath ‘Pardon,’ he said, ‘the point is simply this. How do you propose to find him if he is here?’ ‘That again is my affair,’ I answered. He threw up his hands in despair; but in a moment his place was taken by an unexpected disputant. The Lieutenant, who had stood by all the time, listening and tugging at his grey moustache, suddenly spoke. Look here, M. de Berault,’ he said, confronting me roughly, ‘I do not fight duels. I am from the ranks. I proved my courage at Montauban in ‘21, and my honour is good enough to take care of itself. So I say what I like, and I ask you plainly what M. le Capitaine doubtless has in his mind, but does not ask: Are you running with the hare, and hunting with the hounds in this matter? In other words, have you thrown up Monseigneur’s commission in all but name, and become Madame’s ally; or--it is the only other alternative--are you getting at the man through the women?’ ‘You villain!’ I cried, glaring at him in such a rage and fury that I could scarcely get the words out. This was plain speaking with a vengeance! How dare you? How dare you say that I am false to the hand that pays me?’ I thought that he would blench, but he did not. He stood up stiff as a poker.