"Monsieur le Duc d'Anjou," she said, "has been poisoned some time during his supper last evening; and it was you who served the supper."
At these words the two men turned as pale as death.
"Torture us, kill us, if you will," they said; "but do not accuse us."
"Fools that you are; do you suppose that if I suspected you, that would have already been done? You have not yourselves, I know, assassinated your master, but others have killed him; and I must know who the murderers are. Who has entered the pavilion?"
"An old man, wretchedly clothed, whom monseigneur has seen during the last two days."
"But the woman—"
"We have not seen her—what woman does your majesty mean?"
"A woman has been here, who made a bouquet—"
The two attendants looked at each other with an expression of such simple surprise that Catherine perceived, by this glance alone, how perfectly innocent they were.
"Let the governor of the town and the governor of the chateau be sent for," she said. The two valets hurried to the door.