"No, God forbid! I have no false pride, thank Heaven! But I can see certain strings, which look to me much like purse-strings, protruding from a box on your chimney-piece."
"You are evidently a connoisseur in strings, Master Barrabas," said Canolles. "We will see if your previsions are correct."
There was a casket of old faience, incrusted with silver, upon the chimney-piece. Canolles raised the lid, and found within, a purse, and in the purse a thousand pistoles with this little note:—
"For the privy purse of Monsieur le Gouverneur of Île Saint-Georges."
"Corbleu!" said Canolles, blushing; "the queen does things very well."
Instinctively the thought of Buckingham came into his mind. Perhaps the queen had seen the handsome features of the young captain from behind some curtain; perhaps a tender interest in him led her to extend her protecting influence over him. Perhaps—We must remember that Canolles was a Gascon.
Unfortunately, the queen was twenty years older than in Buckingham's time.
Whatever the explanation, wherever the purse came from, Canolles put his hand in it and took out ten pistoles, which he handed to Barrabas, who left the room with a profusion of most respectful reverences.