“Not bad-looking––I’ll see to it no other man gets her!”
He slapped his knife villainously.
CHAPTER VII
TANGLED SKEINS
Henriette Girard had not only been saved from dishonor by Chevalier de Vaudrey, but she had won a devoted friend. Through his connections, the Chevalier knew much that was passing in the half-world. The mystery of the happenings at the coach house was cleared by him.
“Your cousin M. Martin,” he said, “was found drugged in a wineshop to which presumably the man La Fleur had enticed him. It was easy then for La Fleur to pose as Martin and kidnap you.
“I grieve to say it, abductions of the poor and friendless are common with the roues of fashion. Their families are of such influence that the police rarely interfere.
“But there will be an end of this––if I mistake not,” said the Chevalier, “the people mean to put an end to these seignorial ‘privileges’!”