"Yes, monsieur, and his Majesty has made us very happy by his choice."
"You are sure that there's no mistake?"
"If you will deign to go with me to your apartments, monsieur, you will find there your commission."
Canolles, completely staggered by a dénouement so utterly different from that which he anticipated, followed the officer without a word, amid the beating of drums, soldiers presenting arms, and all the inhabitants of the fortress, who made the air resound with acclamations. Pale and excited, he saluted to right and left, and questioned Barrabas with dismayed glance.
At last he was introduced into a salon furnished with some pretensions to elegance, from the windows of which he noticed first of all that he could see the château de Cambes; and there he read his commission, drawn up in proper form, signed by the queen, and countersigned by the Duc d'Épernon.
At that sight Canolles' legs altogether failed him, and he fell helplessly upon a chair.
After all the fanfares and presenting arms and noisy demonstrations of respect in the military fashion, and after the first feeling of surprise which these demonstrations produced in him, Canolles was anxious to know just what to think with reference to the office the queen had bestowed upon him, and raised his eyes which for some time had been fastened upon the floor.
He then saw standing in front of him, no less thunderstruck than himself, his former keeper, become his very humble servant.
"Ah! is it you, Master Barrabas?" said he.