“Refuse.”

“Ah!” said the queen, well pleased.

“Your majesty even paid 100,000 francs on account.”

“Well, and afterwards?”

“Afterwards, as your majesty could not pay, you sent it back to M. Bœhmer.”

“By whom?”

“By me.”

“And what did you do with it?”

“I took it to the cardinal.”

“And why to the cardinal instead of to the jewelers, as I told you?”