This was in French, but to the lad’s great delight the hostess spoke his tongue, with a good accent, easily and well.
“Anyone would think you were French,” he said, with a courtly bow.
“Oh no,” she said, “I am English. I was in Rouen many years at school, and we have French travellers here sometimes. But let me show you the chambers for your lord and your young friend. He is a lord?” she said, with a pleasant smile.
“He is what you English would call a lord,” replied Denis. “The Comte de la Seine.”
“Ah,” said the hostess, with a smile of satisfaction at the quality of her guests, as she led the way to the best chambers of the fine old inn, Denis selecting two, one within the other, which were exactly such as he felt the King would like—that is to say, a fine old bedroom with a double-bedded ante-chamber, which he immediately determined should be for himself and Saint Simon.
Within an hour, partly refreshed, the King and his two followers entered the room where their dinner was spread, unbuckled and laid by their swords, and took their places at the well-furnished table, as a couple of fresh-looking serving-maids, under the guidance of the hostess, brought in the soup and plates, the mistress seeing to the helping and then retiring, leaving the guests to their repast.
“Hah!” exclaimed the King. “My appetite is grand. What soup! Why, we might be in France. No, it is better, thicker and stronger. But what’s this? The insolence of these Englanders! Here, Denis, boy, read it aloud.” And he tossed a folded paper, one end of which was sticking out from beneath his soup bowl, across to the young esquire.
The lad’s eyes flashed, as he read in a crabbed, clear hand the words: “Imminent undique pericula.”
“What’s that, Leoni? Bah! He isn’t here,” cried the King, letting his spoon fall back into the bowl. “I thought it was the account. Latin. Read it again.”
Denis obeyed, while the King’s left hand began to play with his dagger, as he darted a suspicious look at the closed door, and then at the side dresser upon which he had thrown his sword.