for us to change parts for a few minutes?"

He was still laughing and talking in his madcap way when a door opened,
and my father came towards us.

"Edmond!" he cried, on seeing me, "now this is indeed bright sunshine
gleaming through the dark clouds. Monsieur Bellièvre, you are doubly
welcome, for your own sake and for what you bring with you!"

The memory of the pleasant evening that followed I treasured for many
years. I sat beside my mother, my hand clasped in hers, telling her the
story of my adventures. Jeanne was full of high spirits, while Felix was
simply overflowing with wit and good-humoured drollery.

The only drawback to our enjoyment was the absence of the trusted
Jacques, but even that was slight, as he was not seriously wounded, and
from the household of the noble Count St. Cyr he was certain to receive
every attention.

Nothing was said that evening about the visit of the troops to Le Blanc,
but the next morning I had a long talk with my father on the subject. I
told him what I had learned from old Pierre, and also my suspicions
concerning Etienne Cordel.

"The advocate is a scheming rogue," he said, "who bears me no goodwill
because I have laughed at his pretensions to be considered our equal. He
is in the pay of Monseigneur, and he has acted as a spy on those of the
Religion; but, unless he heard of the affair of the letter, he could do
me no harm."