"When we besieged the house in the Rue Cloche Percée, and when I had a silver bowl hurled at my shoulder, D'Anjou some orange marmalade on his head, and De Guise a haunch of venison in the face, you saw two women and two men, did you not?"
"I saw nothing, sire. Does not your Majesty remember that I was questioning the janitor?"
"Yes, but, by Heaven, I saw"—
"Ah, if your Majesty saw anything, that is a different thing."
"I saw two men and two women. Well, I know now beyond a doubt that one of the women was Margot, and that one of the men was Monsieur de la Mole."
"Well," said Henry, "if Monsieur de la Mole was in the Rue Cloche Percée, he was not here."
"No," said Charles, "he was not here. But never mind who was here; we shall know this as soon as that imbecile of a Maurevel is able to speak or write. The point is that Margot is deceiving you."
"Bah!" said Henry; "do not believe such nonsense."
"When I tell you that you are more than near-sighted, that you are blind, the devil! will you believe me just once, stupid? I tell you that Margot is deceiving you, and that this evening we are going to strangle her lover."
Henry gave a start of surprise, and looked at his brother-in-law in amazement.