But towards noon the stream began to fail; and when I sat down to
dinner at that hour, I had reason to suppose that I should be
left at peace. I had not more than begun my meal, however, when
I was called from table by a messenger from the Queen.
"What is it?" I said, when I had gone to him. Had he come from
the King, I could have understood it more easily.
"Her Majesty desires to know, your excellency, whether you have
seen anything of Mademoiselle D'Oyley."
"I?"
"Yes, M. le Duc."
"No, certainly not. How should I?" I replied.
"And she is not here?" the man persisted.
"No!" I answered, angrily. "God bless the Queen, I know nothing
of her. I am sitting at meat, and--"
The man interrupted me with protestations of regret, and,
hastening to express himself thoroughly satisfied, retired with a
crestfallen air. I wondered what the message meant, and what had
come over the Queen, and whither the girl had gone. But as I
made it a rule throughout my term of office to avoid, as far as
possible, all participation in bed-chamber intrigues, I wasted
little time on the matter, but returning to my dinner, took up
the conversation where I had left it.
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