“Well, gentlemen,” cried the duke.
“Monseigneur,” stammered D’Epernon, “it was a joke; forgive us.”
“Monseigneur,” said D’O, “we did not dream of meeting your highness here!”
“A joke!” said the duke; “you have an odd manner of joking, M. d’Epernon. Since it was not intended for me, whom did your jest menace?”
“Monseigneur,” said Schomberg; “we saw St. Luc quit the Hôtel Montmorency and come this way; it seemed strange to us, and we wished to see what took him out on his wedding night.”
“M. de St. Luc—you took me for him?”
“Yes, monseigneur.”
“M. de St. Luc is a head taller then I am.”
“It is true, monseigneur; but he is just the height of M. Aurilly.”
“And seeing a man put a key in a lock, we took him for the principal,” added D’O.