"But," Victor finally stammered out, "how did my letter get to the notice of King Louis XVIII.?"
The Postmaster-general burst into shouts of Homeric laughter. And, simple-minded though the poet was, at last he understood.
"But," he exclaimed, "what became of the letter?"
"Why, naturally, it was replaced in the post."
"And reached its destination?"
"Probably."
"But if Delon had accepted my offer and had come to me, what would have happened?"
"He would have been arrested, tried and probably executed, my dear poet."
"So that my letter would have been regarded as a deathtrap for him; and if he had been arrested, tried and executed ... the pension I have received would have been blood-money! Oh!..."
Victor uttered a cry of horror at what might have happened, clapped his hands to his head and rushed out into the antechamber, where M. Roger followed him, laughing greatly, telling him he had left his hat behind him and saying—