Hérault read my face as he would have read an open book.
“I see you are beginning to understand, M. de Brancas,” he said, still smiling. “It would be inconvenient to have you present at certain scenes which are to occur say twenty-four hours from now. Consequently you will be my guest for thirty-six hours.”
I was still dazed at the discovery of this trap, and my mind was stumbling blindly along its intricacies.
“How did you learn of the existence of this note, monsieur?” I asked at length, finding here a problem which I could not solve.
“Ah, M. de Brancas,” cried Hérault, “it was there that you displayed an indiscretion which surprised me. Did you for a moment suppose that a masked lady, whose identity, however, was well known, could give you a note in a crowded house where there were twenty of my agents without this being perceived? Did you believe that you could talk of a rendezvous in a theatre box and not be overheard, provided the police wished to overhear you? You will answer, of course, that you talked in a low voice, but permit me to tell you something, monsieur, which may be of value to you in the future. In a theatre, a hall, or any place where there is a great crowd of people and consequently much noise, a single human voice seems to its possessor the most feeble instrument in the world. And yet, no matter how great the confusion, trained ears, such as my agents possess, can pick out that voice and follow it as though it were speaking alone in the stillness of the grave.”
I understood but too clearly, and cursed my own folly and that of Mlle. de Valois.
“As I said before,” continued Hérault, “you are my guest. You are at my house in the Rue de Perpignan. But do not think of escape, monsieur. Twenty men guard every door and avenue of escape. I shall be obliged to station six in your apartment. They will be fully armed, and as you have not even your sword,”—I placed my hand at my side and found that my sword was indeed gone,—“you can easily realize how foolhardy it would be to attack them. They have instructions to kill you rather than permit you to escape, and I should be truly sorry to have the incident end so unhappily.”
He paused for a moment as though to allow his words to take effect, and then motioned me to follow him. We mounted two steep and narrow flights of stairs, passing several sentries on the way, and stopped before a door on the third floor. This Hérault opened, and we entered. Six soldiers, all armed with swords and muskets, were pacing up and down inside. An open door disclosed another and smaller room, in which there was a bed.
“I trust you will be comfortable here, monsieur,” said Hérault. “After all, it will be only for a short time. Is there anything you desire?”
“Nothing, monsieur,” I answered.