Quelus drew back, trembling, and thunderstruck.

"Monseigneur le Duc d'Anjou!" he cried.

"The Duc d'Anjou!" repeated the others.

"Well, gentlemen," cried the duke.

"Monseigneur," stammered D'Epernon, "it was a joke; forgive us."

"Monseigneur," said D'O, "we did not dream of meeting your highness
here!"

"A joke!" said the duke; "you have an odd manner of joking, M.
d'Epernon. Since it was not intended for me, whom did your jest
menace?"

"Monseigneur," said Schomberg; "we saw St. Luc quit the Hotel
Montmorency and come this way; it seemed strange to us, and we
wished to see what took him out on his wedding night."

"M. de St. Luc--you took me for him?"

"Yes, monseigneur."

"M. de St. Luc is a head taller then I am."

"It is true, monseigneur; but he is just the height of M. Aurilly."

"And seeing a man put a key in a lock, we took him for the