Part 70 (1/2)
”Do you see this cloak, this plume, and this doublet?” said the duke; ”they belong to Monsieur de la Mole, one of my gentlemen, a fop of the highest type. The cloak was the rage at court, and when he wore it, Monsieur de la Mole was recognized a hundred feet away. I will give you the address of the tailor who made it for him. By paying him double what it is worth, you will have one exactly like it by this evening. You will remember the name of Monsieur de la Mole, will you not?”
Scarcely had the Duc d'Alencon finished making the suggestion, when a step was heard approaching in the corridor, and a key was turned in the lock.
”Who is that?” cried the duke, rus.h.i.+ng to the door and drawing the bolt.
”By Heaven!” replied a voice from outside; ”I find that a strange question. Who are you yourself? This is pleasant! I return to my own room, and am asked who I am!”
”Is it you, Monsieur de la Mole?”
”Yes, it is I, without a doubt. But who are you?”
While La Mole was expressing his surprise at finding his room occupied, and while he was trying to discover its new occupant, the Duc d'Alencon turned quickly, one hand on the lock, the other on the key.
”Do you know Monsieur de la Mole?” he asked of De Mouy.
”No, monseigneur.”
”Does he know you?”
”I think not.”
”In that case it will be all right. Appear to be looking out of the window.”
De Mouy obeyed in silence, for La Mole was beginning to grow impatient, and was knocking on the door with all his might.
The Duc d'Alencon threw a last glance towards De Mouy, and seeing that his back was turned, he opened the door.
”Monseigneur le Duc!” cried La Mole, stepping back in surprise. ”Oh, pardon, pardon, monseigneur!”
”It is nothing, monsieur; I needed your room to receive a visitor.”
”Certainly, monseigneur, certainly. But allow me, I beg you, to take my cloak and hat from the bed, for I lost both to-night on the quay of the Greve, where I was attacked by robbers.”
”In fact, monsieur,” said the prince, smiling, himself handing to La Mole the articles asked for, ”you are very poorly accommodated here.
You have had an encounter with some very obstinate fellows, apparently!”
The duke handed to La Mole the cloak and the hat. The young man bowed and withdrew to the antechamber to change his clothes, paying no attention to what the duke was doing in his room; for it was an ordinary occurrence at the Louvre for the rooms of the gentlemen to be used as reception-rooms by the prince to whom the latter were attached.
De Mouy then approached the duke, and both listened for La Mole to finish and go out; but when the latter had changed his clothes, he himself saved them all further trouble by drawing near to the door.
”Pardon me, monseigneur,” said he, ”but did your highness meet the Count de Coconnas on your way?”
”No, count, and yet he was at service this morning.”
”In that case they will a.s.sa.s.sinate me,” said La Mole to himself as he went away.
The duke heard the noise of his retreating steps; then opening the door and drawing De Mouy after him: