"Captain Landry, at your service," said the man; "or, if you will, at the service of her majesty the Queen-mother. Good-day, my gentle cousins both. Good-day to you, my good aunt Perrotte. How goes it with her now? Her head was somewhat ailing as I heard, since she had left the court." And he touched his forehead significantly with his finger.
"She is well!" answered Jocelyne hastily, trembling in spite of her efforts to be calm.
"But this is no visit of ceremony, my good friends," continued Captain Landry, with some haughtiness of manner. "I come upon state affairs. A criminal of rank, who has conspired against the life and person of the king, has escaped; and we are sent in his pursuit. We have contrived to track him of a surety to this neighbourhood; and, as I bethought me that this same delinquent was a friend of my fair cousin Jocelyne, who, although she has received my offers of affection with disdain, could look upon another with more favour, I doubted not that I should find news of him in her company. Know you of none such here, sweet cousin?"
"I know not of whom you speak," said Jocelyne, her colour varying from the flush of emotion to the deadly paleness of fear.
"And you, Alayn, boy, since our fair cousin's memory is so short, can doubtless tell me. Has no one entered here within the last half hour?"
"No one!" answered Alayn sturdily; but he then turned and moved to the window to hide his confusion.
The Queen's agent shrugged his shoulders.
"And my good aunt has had no visitors?" he resumed, advancing towards the old woman.
Perrotte lifted her head, and regarded the captain fixedly, and with a look of scorn, but said not a word.
"Search!" said the officer, turning to the soldiers, who had waited without.