Even of Bareilles, though the two were the merest
acquaintances, he could only think indulgently, because,
forsooth, he too was a Protestant. He began to defend him
therefore, and, seeing how the ground lay, after a time I let the
matter drop.
Still I did not think that he bad been serious in his plea, and
that which happened on the following morning took me completely
by surprise. We had left Crozant an hour, and I was considering
whether, the road being bad, we should even now reach Gueret
before night, when Parabere, who had made some excuse to ride
forward, returned, to me with signs of embarrassment in his
manner.
"My friend," he said, "here is a message from Bareilles."
"How?" I exclaimed. "A message? For whom?"
"For you," he said; "the man is here."
"But how did Bareilles know that I was coming?" I asked.
Parabere's confusion furnished me with the answer before he
spoke. "Do not be angry, my friend," he said. "I wanted to do
Bareilles a good turn. I saw that you were enraged with him, and
I thought that I could not help him better than by suggesting to
him to come and meet you in a proper spirit, and make the
explanations which I am sure that he has it in his power to make.
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