The door behind de Lacheville was closed by the Count de Beaujeu, who was the last to enter, and the marquis, drawing a deep breath between his set teeth, stepped forward as one who suddenly resolves to take a desperate chance.
"Cousin Edmé!" he exclaimed, coming up to where she was seated and endeavoring to take her hand. "Thank Heaven you have escaped!"
"Yes, I am in a place of safety, thanks to a brave gentleman," she replied, drawing back her hand. "But do not call me cousin. I ceased to be your kinswoman when you deserted me at Rochefort. There are no cowards of our blood." And she turned from him with a look of unutterable contempt as if he were too mean an object to deserve her passing notice. She had spoken in a low voice, yet so distinctly that all in the room heard what she had said. A murmur of surprise ran round the entire group of officers. The marquis drew back under the rebuff, his face deadly pale, while he darted at Edmé a look of hatred as if he could have killed her.
"What's that?" roared the general as soon as he could master his astonishment. "One of my aides a coward?"
De Lacheville gave a quick glance around the room, as a hunted man, brought suddenly to bay, might seek some weapon to defend himself. As he caught sight of Tournay, his eyes gleamed wickedly.
"This mad girl," he exclaimed, pointing to Mademoiselle de Rochefort as soon as he could control his voice, "was once my affianced bride, but she has found a mate better suited to her liking. She has been traveling with him throughout France, and now she seeks to extenuate her own conduct by slandering me, whom she has wronged."
"If you are not the coward mademoiselle has called you, you will answer to me for that lie," said Tournay, throwing Gaillard's restraining hand off from his arm and advancing toward the marquis threateningly.
De Lacheville drew back. He remembered the duel in the woods at La Thierry. He looked again into the dark eyes of the stern man who confronted him, and his mouth twitched nervously. Then with an effort he turned to the French gentlemen at his side and said, speaking rapidly, "This fellow is a Republican, one of those who clamored for King Louis's death. Shall we forget our oath to kill these regicides wherever we may find them?"
Before he had finished speaking, three swords were out of their scabbards and three infuriated French noblemen sprang at Tournay.
"Gott in Himmel!" shouted General von Waldenmeer, as his Prussian officers beat down the points of the excited Frenchmen, "will you spill blood here under my very nose? Colonel Karl von Waldenmeer, place those French gentlemen under restraint, and let there be quiet here while I examine into these charges."