‘It appears to me that the burden is with you,’ he said huskily; ‘but for my part I am satisfied.’
‘Very well,’ I said, ‘I take the burden. Permit me to apologise for having caused you to strip unnecessarily. Fortunately the sun is shining.’
‘Yes,’ he said gloomily. And he took his clothes from the sundial and began to put them on. He had expressed himself satisfied, but I knew that he was feeling very ill-satisfied, indeed, with himself; and I was not surprised when he presently said abruptly and almost rudely, ‘There is one thing that I think we must settle here.’
‘Yes?’ I said. ‘What is that?’
‘Our positions,’ he blurted out, ‘Or we shall cross one another again within the hour.’
‘Umph! I am not quite sure that I understand,’ I said.
‘That is precisely what I don’t do—understand!’ he retorted, in a tone of surly triumph. ‘Before I came on this duty, I was told that there was a gentleman here, bearing sealed orders from the Cardinal to arrest M. de Cocheforet; and I was instructed to avoid collision with him so far as might be possible. At first I took you for the gentleman. But the plague take me if I understand the matter now.’
‘Why not?’ I said coldly.
‘Because—well, the question is in a nutshell!’ he answered impetuously. ‘Are you here on behalf of Madame de Cocheforet, to shield her husband? Or are you here to arrest him? That is what I do not understand, M. de Berault.’
‘If you mean, am I the Cardinal’s agent—I am!’ I answered sternly.