By this time it was nearly midnight, and my people were dropping
with fatigue. Nevertheless, a sense of the desperate nature of
the case animating them, they formed themselves voluntarily into
a kind of council, all feeling their probity attacked; in which
various modes of forcing the secret from those who held it were
proposed--Maignan's suggestions being especially violent.
Doubting, however, whether Madame had more than one confidante, I
secretly made up my mind to a course which none dared to suggest;
and then dismissing all to bed, kept only Maignan to lie in my
chamber, that if any points occurred to me in the night I might
question him on them.
At four o'clock I called him, and bade him go out quietly and
saddle two horses. This done, I slipped out myself without
arousing anyone, and mounting at the stables, took the Orleans
road through the forest. My plan was to strike at the head, and
surprising Madame de Verneuil while the event; still hung
uncertain, to wrest the secret from her by trick or threat.
Pages:
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160