Part 7 (1/2)
”I am neither a burglar nor a murderer; that's all you need to know; the rest is no concern of yours. Have you writing materials at hand?”
”Yes, monsieur; there they are, on that table.”
”Very well. Now sit down at the table.”
”Why?”
”Sit down, and answer my questions.”
”The first man who visited you this evening was M. Jeannin, was he not?”
”Yes, M. Jeannin de Castille.”
”The king's treasurer?”
”Yes.”
”All right. The second was Commander de Jars, and the young man he brought with him was his nephew, the Chevalier de Moranges. The last comer was a duke; am I not right?”
”The Duc de Vitry.”
”Now write from my dictation.”
He spoke very slowly, and Mademoiselle de Guerchi, obeying his commands, took up her pen.
”'To-day,'” dictated Quennebert,--”'to-day, this twentieth day of the month of November, in the year of the Lord 1658, I--
”What is your full name?”
”Angelique-Louise de Guerchi.”
”Go on! 'I, Angelique-Louise de Guerchi, was visited, in the rooms which--I occupy, in the mansion of the d.u.c.h.esse d'Etampes, corner of the streets Git-le-Coeur and du Hurepoix, about half-past seven o'clock in the evening, in the first place, by Messire Jeannin de Castille, King's Treasurer; in the second place, by Commander de Jars, who was accompanied by a young man, his nephew, the Chevalier de Moranges; in the third place, after the departure of Commander de Jars, and while I was alone with the Chevalier de Moranges, by the Duc de Vitry, who drew his sword upon the said chevalier and forced him to take flight.'
”Now put in a line by itself, and use capitals 'DESCRIPTION OF THE CHEVALIER DE MORANGES'.”
”But I only saw him for an instant,” said Angelique, ”and I can't recall----
”Write, and don't talk. I can recall everything, and that is all that is wanted.”
”'Height about five feet.' The chevalier,” said Quennebert, interrupting himself, ”is four feet eleven inches three lines and a half, but I don't need absolute exactness.” Angelique gazed at him in utter stupefaction.
”Do you know him, then?” she asked.
”I saw him this evening for the first time, but my eye is very accurate.
”'Height about five feet; hair black, eyes ditto, nose aquiline, mouth large, lips compressed, forehead high, face oval, complexion pale, no beard.'
”Now another line, and in capitals: ”'SPECIAL MARKS.'
”'A small mole on the neck behind the right ear, a smaller mole on the left hand.'