"And I was idiotic enough—you will forgive me, won't you, Nanon?" continued the duke, holding out his hand to the young woman—"I was idiotic enough to be jealous of you!"
"Indeed! jealous of me! Oh! monseigneur, you were very, very wrong!"
"I was about to ask you if you had any suspicion as to the identity of the rascal who played informer?"
"No, not the slightest. But you understand, monseigneur, that such acts do not go unpunished, and some day you will know who did it."
"Oh! yes, certainly I shall know it some day, and I have taken precautions in abundance to that end; but I would have preferred to know it immediately."
"Ah!" rejoined Cauvignac, pricking up his ears; "ah! you say you have taken precautions to that end, monseigneur?"
"Yes, yes! And the villain," continued the duke, "will be very fortunate if my signature in blank doesn't lead to his being hanged."
"Why, how can you distinguish that particular signature from all the other orders you give out, monseigneur?"
"Because I made a private mark upon it."