"I shall have dismissed these people directly," Mayenne continued. "Then you can tell me your tale."
"I can tell it now in two words," Lucas answered, coming abruptly back. "Belin signed the warrant, and sent a young ass of the burgher guard after Mar. I attended to some affairs of my own. Then after a time I went round to the Trois Lanternes to see if they had got him. He was not there—only that cub of a boy of his. When I came in, he swore, the innkeeper swore, the whole crew swore, I was Mar. The fool of an officer arrested me."
I expected Mayenne to burst out laughing in Lucas's chagrined face. But instead he seemed less struck with his nephew's misfortunes than with some other aspect of the affair. He said slowly:
"You told Belin this arrest was my desire?"
"I may have implied something of the sort."
"You repeated it to the arresting officer before Mar's boy!"
"I had no time to say anything before they hustled me off," Lucas exclaimed. "Mille tonnerres! Never had any man such luck as I. It's enough to make me sign papers with the devil."
"Mar would believe I had broken faith with him?"
"I dare say. One isn't responsible for what Mar believes," Lucas answered carelessly.
Mayenne was silent, with knit brows, drumming his hand on the table. Lucas went on with the tale of his woes: