"And the child?" said De Brecy.
Juvenel de Royans looked suddenly up with an inquiring glance. "I do not know," he said. "But do you think--do you really believe--"
"I know nothing," replied Jean Charost. "The duke told me nothing of all this. I had fancied he might have something of importance to communicate; and, indeed, something was said about giving me some papers; but he was murdered, and--"
"Did you never get the packet Lomelini had for you?" asked De Royans.
Before Jean Charost could answer, a soldier came into the hall, saying, "Is there a Monsieur de Brecy here?"
"He is here, young man; what do you want?" asked De Brecy.
"A letter addressed to you, sir," answered the soldier, advancing toward him.
All eyes turned at once upon the bearer of the letter and him to whom it was addressed; and De Blondel, who was in command, exclaimed, "A letter, by the Lord! Unless we have taken to writing letters to one another, the gates of the old château must be more open than we thought."
"I found it on an arrow-head, sir, just within the east barbican," replied the soldier.
"Well, well. What contains it?" asked the other, impatiently. "News, or no news, good or bad, Seigneur De Brecy?"