“I should say, Baron, that it will be most welcomely expressed, if you will abstain from saying more of the matter.  It is a simple one.  I went to the assistance of a woman in distress; and succeeded, at the expense of this trifling wound, in accomplishing her rescue.  The lady happened to be your daughter, but had she been but the daughter of some little bourgeois of Paris, carried off by a reckless noble, it would have been the same.  Much more has been made of the matter than there was any occasion for.  It has gained for me the approbation and thanks of the king, to say nothing of this ring, which, although I am no judge of such matters, must be a very valuable one, or he would not have worn it; and I have had the pleasure of rendering a service to you, and Mademoiselle de Pointdexter.  Therefore, I feel far more than duly rewarded, for a service somewhat recklessly undertaken on the spur of the moment.”

“That may be very well, as far as it interests yourself, Monsieur Kennedy; but not so far as I am concerned, and I fear I shall have to remain your debtor till the end of my life.  All I can say at present is that I hope that, as soon as you can obtain leave, you will come as a most honoured guest to my chateau.  There you will see me under happier circumstances.  The life of a country seigneur is but a poor preparation for existence in this court, where, although there is no longer the open licentiousness that prevailed in the king’s younger days, there is yet, I believe, an equal amount of profligacy, though it has been sternly discountenanced since Madame Maintenon obtained an absolute, and I may say a well-used, influence over His Majesty.”

“I shall be happy, indeed, to pay you a visit, Baron, if my military duties will permit my absenting myself, for a time, from Paris.  All I know of France is its capital, and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have the opportunity of seeing its country life, in so pleasant a manner.”

“Our pleasure would be no less than your own, Monsieur Kennedy.

“There is one thing I must warn you about, and that is, you must be careful for a time not to go out after dark.  De Tulle has an evil reputation, and is vindictive as well as unscrupulous.  Doubtless, he has agents here who will, by this time, have discovered who it was that brought his daring scheme to naught; and it is, to my mind, more than probable that he will endeavour to be revenged.”

“I shall be on my guard,” Desmond said quietly.

“You must be careful, indeed,” the baron said.  “Against open violence you can well defend yourself, but against a blow from behind with a dagger, skill and courage are of little avail.  When you go out after dark, I pray you let your army servant follow closely behind you, and see that his sword is loose in its scabbard.”

Desmond nodded.

“Believe me, I will take every precaution.  It is not likely that there will long be need for it, for none can doubt that military operations will soon begin on a large scale, and we are not likely, if that is the case, to be kept in garrison in Paris.”