De Berryer laughed, and drew two more chairs to the table.
"Do not stand," continued the King. "I am merely Chevalier to-night."
Louis seated himself beside Richelieu, with whom he evinced a desire to speak privately. D'Holbach, perceiving this, began at once, with his usual tact, to entertain the rest of the company by an anecdote concerning d'Alembert and Voltaire. Immediately the King turned to his favorite courtier.
"De Mailly came straight to Paris with you to-day?"
"We rode to Versailles first, Sire; changed our clothes there, and came hither immediately."
"And now the truth, Richelieu. I will brook nothing less. He did not see madame after he left the hunt?"
The Duke opened his eyes. "We left Mme. de Châteauroux with you. We have not seen her since."
The King drew a deep breath. "She left the hunting-party half an hour after you, knowing that it was not in my power to follow her. I feared it was to join—him. I have left everything to make sure of his whereabouts. The fellow drives me mad."
While Louis spoke a gleam came into the Duke's eyes. He smiled slightly, and said; with a nod towards de Berryer, and that daring which was permitted to him alone, "Your Majesty brought a lettre-de-cachet in some one else's pocket?"
Louis looked slightly nonplussed. He shrugged, however, as he answered, "No lettre-de-cachet will be used." Then, as the laughter from the Baron's tale subsided, the King addressed the party: "We will not stop your game, my friends. In fact—in fact, I will myself play one of you."