Concisely but in every detail Barrington told her what had happened at Trémont, and explained how he had become acquainted with Monsieur le Comte at Beauvais. He made no attempt to conceal the fact that he had come to France to place himself at the disposal of Monsieur de Lafayette. If there were any risk in telling this woman so, he was rather relieved to have real danger to face instead of lying and intrigue; the one he might meet successfully, but he was no adept in battling with the other.
"You took the star from Rouzet's coat after he was dead you say, are you sure it was a gold star you took?"
"I made certain by looking at it."
"And you can thoroughly trust your servant?"
"As myself, mademoiselle."
"You have not told me your name," she said.
"Richard Barrington," he answered, and then he laughed a little. "Why I trust you, I do not know. I may be putting it into your power to do me a great deal of harm."
"If I have the power, I shall not use it," she answered.
There was a moment coming when she would have to decide whether these words constituted a promise given without reservation, or whether the promise were contingent on his being honest, as now she believed him to be.
"For that I thank you," he returned.