‘Your sister is in all honour and purity at the nunnery of Lucon.’
He laughed a horrible, incredulous laugh. ‘Safely disposed of ere you cajoled la petite with the fable of your faithfulness! Nothing like a Huguenot for lying to both sides;’ and then ensued another burst of imprecations on the delay that had prevented him from seizing the fugitives—till he—till he felt as if the breath of hell were upon him, and could not help vindicating himself, vain though he knew it to be: ‘Narcisse de Ribaumont,’ he said gravely, ‘my word has never been broken, and you know the keeping of it has not been without cost. On that word believe that Madame de Selinville is as spotless a matron as when she periled herself to save my life. I never even knew her sex till I had drawn her half drowned from the sea, and after that I only saw her in the presence of Dom Colombeau of Nissard, in whose care I left her.’
Narcisse’s features contorted themselves into a frightful sneer as he muttered, ‘The intolerable fool; and that he should have got the better of me, that is if it be true—and I believe not a word of it.’
‘At least,’ said Berenger, ‘waste not these last hours on hating and reviling me, but let this fellow of mine, who is a very fair surgeon, bind your wound again.’
‘Eh!’ said Narcisse, spitefully, turning his head, ‘your own rogue? Let me see what work he made of le baiser d’Eustacie. Pray, how does it please her?’
‘She thanks Heaven that your chief care was to spoil my face.’
‘I hear she is a prime doctress; but of course you brought her not hither lest she should hear HOW you got out of our keeping.’
‘She knows it.’
‘Ah! she has been long enough at court to know one must overlook, that one’s own little matters may be overlooked.’
Berenger burst out at last, ‘Her I will not hear blasphemed: the next word against her I leave you to yourself.’