"Ah, my noble girl," said Jean, "truly you are deserving of our confidence!"
"Neither my heart nor my hands would hesitate for one moment," Pierre rejoined, "if I had it in my power to restore this fair city to King Henri's own hands, or to his representative, Monsieur le Duc de Guise. But the circumstances are such that we shall be compelled to use Monsieur d'Exmès as intermediary."
"Well, why not?" asked Babette, amazed at receiving such a reason for hesitation.
"Well," said Pierre, "however proud and happy I might be to be associated in so grand an achievement with him who was once our guest, it would be quite as distasteful to me to share the honor with a gentleman lacking bowels of compassion, who has helped to tarnish the honor of our name."
"What! you don't mean Monsieur d'Exmès, who is so kind-hearted and so loyal?"
"It is nevertheless true," said Pierre, "that your confidence in Monsieur d'Exmès, and Martin-Guerre's lack of conscience, have brought about your ruin; and yet you see that they both keep silent."
"But what could Monsieur d'Exmès do or say?" asked Babette.
"He could have sent Martin-Guerre here as soon as he returned to Paris, my sister, and have ordered him to bestow his name upon you! He could have sent his squire here instead of that stranger, and thus have paid the debt due your heart and the money owed to me at the same time."
"No, no; he could not have done that," said honest Babette, sadly shaking her head.
"What! he was not at liberty to give an order to his own servant?"