"Upon my honour, yes."
"I thank you—I thank you, monsieur; I will write it to-day."
"As you will, Chevalier. I will ask you for the letter to-night," rejoined Detricand. "It may take time to reach de Tournay; but he shall receive it into his own hands."
De Mauprat trembled to his feet to put the question he knew the Chevalier dreaded to ask:
"Do you think that monsieur le comte will return to France?"
"I think he will," answered Detricand slowly.
"It will make my cousin so happy—so happy," quavered the little Chevalier. "Will you take snuff with me, monsieur?" He offered his silver snuff-box to his vagrant countryman. This was a mark of favour he showed to few.
Detricand bowed, accepted, and took a pinch. "I must be going," he said.
CHAPTER IX
At eight o'clock the next morning, Guida and her fellow-voyagers, bound for the Ecrehos Rocks, had caught the first ebb of the tide, and with a fair wind from the sou'-west had skirted the coast, ridden lightly over the Banc des Violets, and shaped their course nor'-east. Guida kept the helm all the way, as she had been promised by Ranulph. It was still more than half tide when they approached the rocks, and with a fair wind there should be ease in landing.