"No, monsieur," answered the old man. "And you?"
I burst into an impassioned appeal to him. I told him of Leroux and his conspiracy to obtain possession of the property, of my encounter with Jacqueline, and how I had rescued her, omitting mention of course of the murder.
As I went on I could see the look of surprise upon his face gradually change into belief.
I told him of our journey across the snow and begged him to help me to rescue Jacqueline, or at least to find her. I added that the trouble had partially destroyed her memory, so that she was not competent to decide who her protectors were.
When I had ended he was looking at me with a benignancy that I had never seen before upon his face.
"M. Hewlett," he answered, "I have long suspected a part of what you have told me, and therefore I readily accept your statements. I believe now that madame has suffered no wrong from you. But I am a priest, and, as you say, my care is only that of souls. Madame is married. I married her——"
"To whom?" I cried.
"To M. Louis d'Epernay, nephew of M. Charles Duchaine by marriage, less than two weeks ago in the château here."
The addition of the last word singularly revived my hopes. It had slipped from his lips unconsciously, but it gave me reason to believe that the château was near by.
Father Antoine sat down upon the chair beside me.