"Ha, Gaston," said the boy, advancing towards me, "our host tells me that two ladies who have been shipwrecked here wish to do me the honour of occupying my apartments for an hour or so. Ha, there they are," he added, as the two girls came suddenly forward. Then bowing--"Mesdames, I am enchanted to set the poor room at your disposal for as long as it may please you to honour it."
As the ladies--of whose presence St. Auban had been unaware--appeared before us, I shot a glance at the Marquis, and, from the start he gave upon beholding them, I saw that things were as I had suspected.
Before they could reply to Andrea, St. Auban suddenly advanced: "Mesdemoiselles," quoth he, "forgive me if in this miserable light I did not earlier discover your presence and offer you my services. I do so now, with the hope that you will honour me by making use of them."
"Merci, M. de St. Auban," replied the dark-haired one--whom I guessed to be none other than Yvonne de Canaples herself--"but, since this gentleman so gallantly cedes his apartments to us, all our needs are satisfied. It would be churlish to refuse that which is so graciously proffered."
Her tone was cold in the extreme, as also was the inclination of her head wherewith she favoured the Marquis. In arrant contrast were the pretty words of thanks she addressed to Andrea, who stood by, blushing like a girl, and a damnable scowl did this contrast draw from St. Auban, a scowl that lasted until, escorted by the landlord, the two ladies had withdrawn.
There was an awkward pause when they were gone, and methought from the look on St. Auban's face that he was about to provoke a fight after all. Not so, however, for, after staring at us like a clown whilst one might tell a dozen, he turned and strode to the door, calling for his horse and those of his companions.
"Au révoir, M. de Luynes," he said significantly as he got into the saddle.
"Au révoir, M. de Luynes," said also Malpertuis, coming close up to me. "We shall meet again, believe me."
"Pray God that we may not, if you would die in your bed," I answered mockingly. "Adieu!"