“The palest, I repeat.”
“Monsieur, will you return to the friends of whom you spoke, and be so good as to name them, if your super-abundant imagination will let you.”
“Seek, monsieur. Morbleu, it is your occupation to hunt out animals, witness the unlucky stag whom you deranged this morning, and who thought it very unkind of you. Seek.”
The eyes of M. de Monsoreau wandered anxiously again.
“What!” cried he, seeing a vacant place by the king, “not the Duc d’Anjou?”
“Taint! Taint! the beast is found.”
“He is gone to-day.”
“He is gone to-day, but it is possible that he set out last night. When did your brother disappear, Henri?”
“Last night.”
“The duke gone!” murmured Monsoreau, paler than ever.