The princess clasped her hands. "My God, sire, it is true."
"And these papers are in your hands?" the king asked.
Lagardere answered, quietly: "They are in the hands of Mademoiselle de Nevers."
Gonzague looked triumphantly from Lagardere to the king. "Then why is this pretended Mademoiselle de Nevers not here?"
Lagardere replied, composedly: "She is to be here at midnight."
Gonzague looked at his watch. "It is midnight now—she is not here. Your majesty sees the worth of this man’s word."
Louis gazed curiously at Lagardere, whose bearing, in spite of the king’s prejudices as a friend of Gonzague, impressed him as that of an honest man. "Had you not better send for this lady?" he questioned.
On Lagardere’s face now some anxiety was depicted, and he answered, anxiously: "She will be here; she must be here. Ah!"
In the excitement consequent upon the extraordinary scene that was passing in the king’s presence, the attention of all the guests was riveted upon their host and upon the amazing altercation between Louis of Gonzague and the unknown adventurer, and the entrance of the tent was left unheeded and unguarded. At this moment the curtains were parted, and the figure of Cocardasse appeared for a moment in the opening. As Lagardere saw him, Cocardasse lifted his glove in the air and let it fall to the ground. Then, in a moment, he had vanished before any one had noticed the episode.
Lagardere gave a sharp cry of pain as he turned to the princess. "Madame, your child is not here; your child must be in danger!" he cried.