"No," replied Pitou; "and to prove it, if you are not satisfied with the excuses I tender you, one of my men shall lend you his, and I will give you any other satisfaction you may like."
"Thanks, no, young sir," said the other, drawing himself up to his full height; "you acted under orders, and an old veteran like me knows that an order is sacred. Now I beg to remark that Madame de Beausire must be anxious about my long absence, and if I am allowed to retire—"
"Go, sir," responded Pitou; "you are free."
Beausire saluted in a free-and-easy style and took himself out of the palace. Pitou looked round for Maillard, but he was not by.
"I fancy I saw him go up the stairs," said one of the Haramont men.
"You saw clearly, for he is coming down," observed Pitou.
Maillard was in fact descending, and as his long legs took the steps two by two, he was soon on the landing.
"Well, did you find anything?" he inquired.
"No," rejoined the captain.