“You are right! your hand, M. de Carmainges.”

Ernanton did quietly as he was asked.

“You have blamed my conduct, monsieur,” said Mayenne; “but I cannot justify myself without revealing important secrets.”

“You defend yourself, monsieur, when I do not accuse.”

“Well!  I will only say that I am a gentleman of good rank, and able to be of use to you.”

“Say no more, monsieur; thanks to the master whom I serve, I have no need of assistance from any one.”

“Your master, who is he?”

“I have asked no questions, monsieur.”

“It is true.”

“Besides, your wound begins to inflame; I advise you to talk less.”

“You are right; but I want my surgeon.”

“I am returning to Paris, as I told you:  give me his address.”

“M. de Carmainges, give me your word of honor that if I intrust you with a letter it shall be given to the person to whom it is addressed.”

“I give it, monsieur.”

“I believe you; I am sure I may trust you.  I must tell you a part of my secret.  I belong to the guards of Madame de Montpensier.”

“Oh!  I did not know she had guards.”

“In these troublous times, monsieur, every one guards himself as well as he can, and the house of Guise being a princely one—­”

“I asked for no explanation, monsieur.”

“Well, I had a mission to Amboise; when on the road I saw my enemy; you know the rest.”—­“Yes.”

“Stopped by this wound, I must report to the duchesse the reason of my delay.”

“Well?”

“Will you therefore put into her own hands the letter I am about to write?”

“I will seek for ink and paper.”

“It is needless, my soldier will get my tablets.”

He instructed the soldier to take them from his pocket, opened them by a spring, wrote some lines in pencil, and shut them again.  It was impossible for any one who did not know the secret to open them without breaking them.

“Monsieur,” said Ernanton, “in three days these tablets shall be delivered.”

“Into her own hands?”

“Yes, monsieur.”

The duke, exhausted by talking, and by the effort of writing the letter, sank back on his straw.

“Monsieur,” said the soldier, in a tone little in harmony with his dress, “you bound me very tight, it is true, but I shall regard my chains as bonds of friendship, and will prove it to you some day.”

And he held out a hand whose whiteness Ernanton had already remarked.

“So be it,” said he, smiling; “it seems I have gained two friends.”

“Do not despise them; one has never too many.”

“That is true,” said Ernanton; and he left them.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

The stable-Yard.

Ernanton arrived at Paris on the third day.  At three in the afternoon he entered the Louvre, among his comrades.  The Gascons called out in surprise at seeing him, and M. de Loignac looked gloomy, and signed to him to enter a little room, where he always gave his private audiences.