"Yes, mademoiselle. Then he went on to say that those who helped the poor suffering King to relief would be his best friends, and it ought to be no surprise if there were such friends."
"Were there names mentioned?"
"No, monseigneur, not then."
"But this afternoon you told me——"
"I thought Saxe was to tell his story his own way?" broke in Ursula de
Vesc, tartly.
"Mademoiselle de Vesc, you cannot know the peril you stand in."
"Peril from what, Monsieur d'Argenton?"
"from the justice of the King."
"If it be only from his justice then I stand in no peril. But I, and all who love the Dauphin, know well how the King's justice deals with Amboise. Saxe, go on with your story your own way. No names were mentioned that day? What then?"
"Hugues said the King's sickness made him peevish and suspicious, so that he doubted even his own friends. No one was safe, neither high nor low, and no one could tell who would follow the same road as Monsieur de Molembrais, whose safe-conduct couldn't save him. 'Even you, Saxe,' he said, 'faithful as you have been and true servant to the King, not even you are safe, and you know a man's first duty is to himself.'"