“Did you really care for him at all?”

Marie started, but she met the duchess’ eyes and answered in a low voice with a single word: 

“No.”

“Ah, well!” said the little duchess with a sigh; and, if I read aright what she expressed, it was a pitying recognition of the reason in that answer:  he could not have expected anyone to love him, she seemed to say.  And if that were so, then indeed had the finger of truth guided the duke in the penning of his epitaph.

We three, who were standing round the body, seemed sunk in our own thoughts, and it was Gustave de Berensac who went to the servant and bade him bring the carriage nearer to where we were; and when it was come, they two lifted the duke in and disposed his body as well as they could.  The man mounted the box, and at a foot-pace we set out.  The duchess had not spoken again, nor had Marie Delhasse; but when I took my place by Marie the duchess suffered Gustave to join her, and in this order we passed along.  But before we had gone far, when indeed we had but just reached the road, we met four of the police hurrying along; and before they came to us or saw what was in the carriage, one cried: 

“Have you seen a small spare man pass this way lately?  He would be running perhaps, or walking fast.”

I stepped forward and drew them aside, signing the carriage to go on and to the others to follow it.

“I can tell you all there is to be told about him, if you mean the man whom I think you mean,” said I.  “But I doubt if you will catch him now.”

And with that I told them the story briefly, and so far as it affected the matter they were engaged upon; and they heard it with much astonishment.  For they had tracked Pierre (or Raymond Pinceau as they called him, saying it was his true name) to Bontet’s stable, on the matter of the previous attempt on the necklace and the death of Lafleur, and on no other, and did not think to hear such a sequel as I unfolded to them.

“And if you will search,” said I, “some six yards behind the wall, and maybe a quarter of a mile from the road, I fancy you will find Bontet; he may have crawled a little way, but could not far, I think.  As for the Duke of Saint-Maclou, gentlemen, his body was in the carriage that passed you this moment.  And I am at your service, although I would desire, if it be possible, to be allowed to follow my friends.”

There being but four of them and their anxiety being to achieve the capture of Pierre, they made no difficulty of allowing me to go on my way, taking from me my promise to present myself before the magistrate at Avranches next day; and leaving two to seek for Bontet, the other two made on, in the hope of finding a boat to take them to the Mount, whither they conceived the escaped man must have directed his steps.

Thus delayed, I was some time behind the others in reaching the inn, and I found Gustave waiting for me in the entrance.  The body of the duke had been carried to his own room and a messenger sent to procure a proper conveyance.  Marie Delhasse was upstairs, and Gustave’s message to me was that the duchess desired to see me.