"A very easy matter," agreed Jacques.
"The facts fit in well with your idea," I said, after a pause; "but if you are right, the puzzle becomes worse than ever."
"In what way, monsieur."
"It brings us face to face with this question—was Casimir in the pay of two employers—one my friend the other my enemy?"
"Pardon me, monsieur," exclaimed Jacques hesitatingly, "but are you sure this adventurer is your friend? He once tried to take your life; he belongs to the opposite camp, and he is a henchman of Monseigneur's, who certainly does not love the Huguenots. You have done this man a service, but it is easy to forget benefits."
"I am afraid that is so, Jacques, yet I cannot doubt L'Estang. Besides, he had me in his power the night he came here."
"Yes," said my servant, with a queer smile, "but he knew that had he done you any harm he would never have left the room alive."
"Still, we will assume that L'Estang is really my friend. In that case Casimir must have sold his knowledge to the lawyer. But if he was in touch with Cordel, who would shoot at him in the wood?"
"A friendly hand could shoot a hole through a cloak. Of course, it is just possible Casimir did not come from L'Estang at all. It is as easy to kill two messengers as one, and the first was killed."
"But how would he know what was in the letter? It had not been opened."