Having recovered his sword Roger mounted his horse, and said to the Abbé: "I've no choice now but to bid you farewell; but I thank you mightily for your help in this night's work and pray that no ill will come to you on account of it."
"Fear not for me," de Perigord smiled. "To make my innocence the more plain I intend to drive on to de Caylus's petite maison and, with appropriate face, prepare them there to receive his body. Besides, the night is yet young, and the beautiful Olympe should not be deprived of her supper. I'll carry her back to Passy in my coach and do my poor best to console her for the loss of her rich lover."
Roger could not help laughing. "Abbé, you are incorrigible! May your zest for enjoyment never flag; and may we meet again to talk of this night at our ease, over a good bottle."
"We will, mon ami. If a warrant is issued to prevent your return I will seek you out when I go to England. In the meantime pray bear my greetings to Lord and Lady Grey, and to Mr. Pitt, should you see him. Take occasion also to wait upon your uncle, and tell my Lord Kildonan to bring me news of you when next he comes to Paris."
De la Tour d'Auvergne had already turned his horse in the direction of Sevres. Roger followed suit, and with shouts of farewell they galloped off into the gathering darkness.
After two miles they eased their pace and walked their horses to give them a breather. It was the Vicomte who broke the silence, by saying a little coldly:
"From de Perigord's parting messages I gather that your mother lives in England, and that you are, in fact, an Englishman?"
'"Tis true," Roger admitted. "My real name is Brook."
"Then may one ask why you have always given yourself out to be a Frenchman from the German provinces?"
"Twas not through any wish to deceive a good friend such as yourself," Roger assured him quickly. "It came about through my once having narrowly escaped being mobbed by some sailors who had ample cause to hate the English; and, later, to unsay what I had already said to various people seemed to invite too many needless complications. De Perigord discovered the truth only because he heard me babbling while unconscious from a blow on the head, and it then transpired that he is acquainted with my uncle. The story of how I came to France and entered M. de Rochambeau's service is a long one. I have often meant to tell it you, but no suitable occasion ever seemed to occur. I do trust that you are not offended by my having failed to make you this confidence?"
"Nay, not the least, now I understand the reason for your reticence. I was wondering, though, if Athenais knows that you are an Englishman and of noble birth."
"Yes, she has done so for a long time past. But why do you ask?"
"Because it seemed to me that if she knew your secret and had long regarded you as her equal, she could not help but love you."
"Monsieur le Vicomte, you pay me a great compliment."
"No more than is your due as a most handsome and gallant gentleman. The romance of your situation, too, could hardly fail to appeal to any maiden, and, since you have told her this long story of yours, I can only assume that at times you must have managed to meet in private. Loving her as you do you would have been scarce human had you not attempted it."
Roger sighed. "Were anyone else to question me on this I'd deny it with my last breath; but, to you, I will avow it. Athenais and I have met many times in secret and we love one another very dearly."
"I should have had the wit to guess it," murmured the Vicomte; then, after a moment, he added: "That being so, I find it surprising that you did not attempt to elope together."
"We toyed with the idea," Roger admitted. "But almost from the first both of us knew in our hearts that we could never marry."
"Why so?"
"The sword of religion lies between us. I am a Protestant, and neither of us are prepared to give up our faith for that of the other. We recognised that our love must remain no more than a romantic attachment."
"Yet you knew that she must marry, and marry soon?"
"We accepted that. But both of us pinned our hopes upon her being given a husband who would love her and whom she would grow to love."
" 'Twas a slender hope," remarked the Vicomte cynically, "seeing the manner in which such marriages are arranged."
"Nay, not so slender in her case. Both she and I knew of your devotion to her and discussed it many times. She vowed that she would be mighty pleased to have so true a gentleman as yourself for her husband and would give all her mind to proving a good and loyal wife. 'Twas as savage a blow to us as to you when her father chose M. de Caylus for her."
"Aye, 'twas damnable ill-fortune; and I feel it to be more than ever so in view of what you tell me. Her romantic love for you is a thing apart. If her thoughts were already favourably engaged towards me, I vow I would have won her affections after a few months of marriage, and made her happy. Whereas, instead, her situation has become most desperate."
"I know it," muttered Roger gloomily. "Count Lucien ruined my whole plan. Once 'tis noised abroad that her father's secretary fought on her behalf everyone will put the worst construction on it. Even were it given out that I was a Prince of the Blood, who had been living in the household incognito, it could not save her from the scandal of having had an affair while still an unmarried girl."
The Vicomte nodded. "M. de Rochambeau will force her to take the veil. 'Tis his only possible course, consonant with honour, in such a situation."
"Yes; 'tis a tragedy; and I have but one consolation. She swore to me upon the cross that she would rather enter a convent than wed de Caylus; so my act to-night has burdened her with no worser fate than she would otherwise have decreed for herself."
"Do you really believe that she would have carried out her threat?"
"I am certain of it. 'Twas all I could manage a week back to dissuade her from defying her father; and when I told her I had arranged this meeting she would have burnt her boats to prevent it, had I not vowed that I meant to fight de Caylus whether she did or no."
"Will you attempt to see her before leaving?" "Nay. We have no rendezvous, and 'twould make her case worse than ever did I force my way in upon her. I had meant to arrange a meeting to-morrow morning but now I dare not stay for that." As he spoke, Roger urged his mount into a canter and added: "Gomel Every moment is precious. Now our horses are rested let us push on."
After another long gallop they eased their pace again and the Vicomte said: "Mon ami, I cannot keep this up. My old wound is paining me too badly. You must go on alone."
"Morte dieu!" exclaimed Roger. "I had forgotten it, and marvel now that you have stayed the pace so far. 'Tis the best of reasons for us remaining together, though; for should it reopen it may cause you to faint."
" 'Twill not reopen, provided I take my time for the rest of the way. But that, you cannot afford to do."
Roger knew it only too well; but, once again, he was not thinking on the same lines as his companion. The Vicomte had in mind the hue and cry that would soon be raised after the slayer of de Caylus, whereas he was concerned with the urgency of his getting back to Paris for the conference at which the Archbishop of Toulouse was to give his fateful decision. The meeting with de Caylus had taken much longer than he had thought would be the case and he still had over half the distance back to the Hotel de Rochambeau to cover. He would be late anyhow, and if he delayed to keep de la Tour d'Auvergne company he might miss the meeting altogether; yet he felt that he could not leave his friend who was now suffering, as well as in danger on his account; so he said firmly: "I'll not go on and leave you exposed to a greater risk of capture than myself."
"For me, capture would mean, at worst, a reprimand from the King and a spell in the Bastille; whereas for you it would mean death."